KARMA!-!: absolution book 1
by avalon01k
Summary: Sora and her twin brother Subaru decide to pursue a life as an idol duet by enrolling in Saotome Academy - with the hope of getting a national debut. While there, they make friendships with the boys who will one day make up STARISH, as well as the shy composer Nanami. While they work hard to make their dreams come true; only one group can debut, but for Sora, losing is unthinkable.
1. Stars in the Sky

**Subaru** **スバル**

"SUBARU! SUBARU!" Sora burst into the music practice room, stopping only when her heart pounded uncomfortably in her chest in protest. She looked up and grinned when her eyes fell upon her twin brother. She held up the pamphlet in her hand, triumphantly brandishing it in front of him.

Subaru rolled his eyes, reaching out to steady her hand so that he could actually _read_ said thing that she'd risked her health to show him. His eyes widened as he read the embossed script.

 **SAOTOME ACADEMY**

INFORMATION PACKET

FOR

NEW ENTRANTS

 _She can't be serious,_ he thought, dumbstruck. Saotome Academy was an entertainment school that trained some of the best idols and composers in Japan; its entrance exam was infamous for being next to impossible - and that was the easy part. It was no secret that only ten percent of new entrants that passed that exam didn't drop out after the first few months, and fewer than that even had a chance at making it in the entertainment industry.

Not to mention the school fees.

Their aunt might have been well-off, but she wasn't _that_ rich.

Sora was watching him expectantly, "Wha'dya think, _Nii-chan_?"

He winced at how excited she seemed. Added to the fact that she only called him _Nii-chan_ (which was wrong, as she was the oldest twin) when she was tremendously excited, it now made sense why she had begun asking if he knew anything about composing original songs for their performances. She wanted to enter the school under the Idol Program while he did the same under the Composer Program; probably thinking it was the better option since he had made the decision not to sing again.

If he was a good brother, he'd try to let her down gently, try to explain how small their odds were of ever being accepted in the first place. But he recognised the look in his sister's eyes. There would be no point in even trying to dissuade her from this course of action.

He sighed, "When are the entrance exams?"

Sora's silver eyes shined, "Next week - _Nii-chan_ does this mean…?" Her hands trembled and Subaru gave her a small smile. "I suppose we did make a promise, didn't we?"

She squealed in delight and smothered him with a big hug. "Thank you," she whispered.

When she pulled away, Subaru could have sworn she was trying to hide tears behind a curtain of silvery blonde hair.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Sora** **天**

 _~Day of the entrance exam ~_

Sora clapped her hands and kicked the snow playfully before bouncing into her finishing pose as HAYATO's latest song faded in her ears. She sighed happily, her breath appearing as white puffs, before sliding her fingers over the glossy screen of her iPod to select another song.

She loved HAYATO's music more than anyone else; for the long years she had spent hospitalised for having an incredibly weak body, she'd never forget the day the wind carried a magical sound through her window, encouraging her not to resign herself to laying in bed forever.

After that, she'd listened to his songs everyday, which dramatically improved her mood. A year later she had been discharged and allowed to go home for the first time since she was just six years old; just in time for the last year of junior high. The school setting was incredibly refreshing compared to her days being taught by a private tutor, paid for by the aunt that never visited her.

Her thoughts drifted away when a new song floated into her head, exciting her with each note. She smiled at the empty street and jumped right back into her dance routines that she'd memorised from watching HAYATO on the television.

Halfway through her routine, she accidentally kicked a large clump of snow that burst, spraying herself with cold sludge.

She turned around apologetically, "Sorry _Ni-cha-_ HUH?" Panic bubbled in her stomach the moment she realised that Subaru was nowhere to be seen.

The cold seemed to cling to her tighter, chest tightening as she scanned the snow strewn street for her brother. Her heart pulsing with anxiety as she realised that not only had she lost her brother, but she didn't recognise where she was at all - why would she? She hadn't had the opportunity to wander the streets of Tokyo freely yet.

The stress piled up the longer she spent standing alone, scanning her surroundings for a hint that would lead her back to Subaru. Her feet started going backwards until her back was pressed up against a rough wall behind her and a small whimper escaped her lips. She slowly let herself slide to the ground, not caring as the snow bit into her clothes even more, a numbing cold devouring her body. In her ears HAYATO continued to sing, but for the first time she couldn't listen.

And that frightened her.

It was 7:50 and she was supposed to be lined up outside Saotome Academy by 8:00. She hugged her knees and clenched her eyes shut, too consumed by her panic to think about anything else. The only other time she'd been this upset was when she'd been told her parents had been in a car accident; it had been Subaru who had hugged her while she cried.

 _Where is here?_ She cried out in her mind. _Subaru! Please find me!_

As if on cue, a kind hand gently brushed her shoulder and her eyes sprang open with relief.

"Subaru!" But then she stopped.

It wasn't Subaru, and just that realisation alone made her shrink away from this stranger's touch, knocking her earbuds out in her surprise. The stranger noticed this and quickly retracted his hand, blushing a little.

" _G-Gomen!"_ He looked to be about the same age as her, with kind eyes and a smile almost as bright as his scarlet hair. Sora relaxed upon seeing he meant no harm.

"Are you alright?" His eyes were worried and his sudden concern warmed her down to her toes. She hadn't met many people, but she got the feeling that this boy was very sweet and caring at his centre - much like her brother.

She hiccuped as she remembered Subaru and another tear leaked down her cheek.

'I'm... lost," she forced out. "And I lost my brother and I don't know where to go and if I don't get their really, really soon then I'm gonna miss the entrance exam and then I won't be able to be part of a duet with him like we'd always promised we would be and then I'll have to go back to the hospital and-"

"It'll be okay!" He smiled at her again and she fell silent. She nodded slowly and then watched as his ruby eyes widened.

"You're taking an entrance exam near here?"

Sora nodded again, "At Saotome Academy."

His smile widened, "Me too! I want to be an idol! Oh-" The boy gave her a sheepish grin, "I'm sorry! I haven't introduced myself - my name is Ittoki Otoya." Ittoki-san offered her a hand up and she took it gratefully.

"Thank you, Ittoki-san."

He wrinkled his nose at her formal way of addressing him, "You can just call me Otoya - we're friends now, right?"

Otoya's energy was contagious and despite her situation she found herself feeling better, "Right."

Mentally, she was jumping up and down - her first friend!

"I'm Shimono Sora."

His eyes brightened, "Sora-chan! That's a cute name!"

She blushed, "Thank you." On instinct she checked her iPod for the time. 7:58. She had two minutes to arrive registration before she was late.

Otoya seemed to pick up on this. "We'd better get you there quickly!"

Sora nodded but then stopped, "What about you?"

"I've already signed in - I was just taking a walk to calm my nerves." He grabbed her hand and led her down the street. They took so many twists and turns that eventually Sora just closed her eyes and let herself get pulled along, too overwhelmed to do anything else.

Finally, Otoya came to a halt and Sora allowed herself to open her eyes. She gasped as she recognised the same gates that she'd seen in the school's booklet last week. The thing that really got both their attention however, was the shy looking girl who was pleading with the security guards.

As they drew closer, they were able to hear what she was saying.

"Please! I… I want to apply, no matter what!" In her desperation she grabbed at the security guard's vest to plead further with him, "I want to study music at Saotome Academy!"

He pushed her away and she slipped, falling down into the snow. She looked so desperate and small in that moment, that Sora couldn't stop herself from intervening, despite her own lateness. Pushing aside her previous meekness, she hurried to join the scene.

"It's only 8:02!" She interjected, while beside her Otoya helped the girl to her feet, "That's _barely_ late - and the exam doesn't start until 8:30!"

The guard's eyes bored into hers. "No! Late is late! She isn't suited to become a student of Saotome Academy if she can't even be on time."

Both Otoya and the girl sighed dejectedly, until another voice called out to the small gathering.

"Wouldn't that depend on her reason for being late?" The three of them followed the voice and found a good-looking young man - being closely followed by two others clad in black suits - regarding them with an amused twinkle in his eyes. He didn't seem to notice the looks of awe that were being thrown in his direction.

"That lady was late…" he walked towards them lazily, "Because she was helping a lost child." He looked at the shy girl contentedly, "I would have given you a ride in my car if I had known you were an applicant of Saotome Academy."

Sora sheepishly began to wonder what was going to happen about her own lateness, and she found herself slipping away from the current conversation. The good-looking man offered the girl the umbrella she had lent to a lost child and she shyly accepted it. Sora tried to get a glimpse of any students who might be lingering about the school's courtyard, behind the guards, hoping that Subaru might be among them.

Apparently satisfied that the other girl could take the entrance exam, their attention turned to Sora.

"This one might have been given an exception," one of the guards said, nodding towards the girl, "But the same courtesy wasn't extended to the other latecomer here." He glared at Sora tiredly and she could feel her anxiety return.

Otoya sensed her skittishness and stepped in, "But she's new to the area and got lost!" Already the guard was shaking his head, "Applicants from all over Japan come here, so how come they still got here before her?"

The other girl opened her mouth to say something but before she could, Sora heard a familiar voice cry out to her:

"SORA!"

She barely had time to look for Subaru before he'd thrown his arms around her, "You _idiot_! Do you have _any idea how worried I've been?_ " She relaxed and he removed himself, but didn't let go of her hand, "Luckily for you, I already registered us both," he handed her a ticket which she clasped carefully with her numb fingers.

It seemed to satisfy the guard, "All of you'd best go to the hall then." Sora nodded, her energy renewed now that she'd found her brother and wasn't about to get reprimanded for being late. To celebrate, she gave the guard a big hug in her excitement - while he sputtered and gawked in response. The sight of the stern man now as red as a tomato made her burst out laughing; her cheerfulness not deterred even though the others stared at her in disbelief - Subaru especially.

"Thank you!" She bowed before him again, and then turned back to her twin, not sure whether hugging him again would really make everyone think she was queer or not.

She decided she didn't care; hugging her brother tightly she squealed, "We're going to Saotome Academy!"

He grumbled at her behaviour in front of so many onlookers, "We're going to an _entrance exam_ that we're going to be late for if you don't stop hugging people!"

She laughed, "Of course, _Nii-chan_."

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ


	2. Piyo! Piyo! Good Luck Charm!

**Sora** **天**

~ _Two months later ~_

Sora twirled in her new uniform for the gazillionth time that morning as she walked towards the cafeteria for an early lunch - this time without her earbuds effectively blocking her way of knowing if her brother was still following her or not. Subaru had made it very clear that until he was happy with her ability to navigate the school grounds, she would have to pay attention, which could only happen if she wasn't focusing on HAYATO.

She'd gotten up ridiculously early - unheard of for her - not wanting to leave anything behind or forget anything; not to mention she'd spent over an hour trying to make herself look presentable, even going so far as to tie her silver hair into twin bunches on either side of her head. Subaru clicked his tongue when he saw her, but she noticed he went quiet after a while.

"What?" She asked.

"You just look… different… with your hair up. Kind of like how you used to look before…"

He'd trailed off, but Sora knew what he was talking about. She hadn't tied her hair up like that since before their parents died.

Their parents… They'd always been their number one music supporters, promising that they'd watch them perform when they achieved their dream of standing on the stage in front of a crowd that wanted to see them.

 _This is the first step Okaa-san, Oto-san,_ she thought, before letting her mind flit to happier things.

She slowed down and linked arms with her brother as they walked through the cafeteria doors and headed into the mass of hungry music students.

After the entrance ceremony that morning, they'd both been sorted into A Class, where Sora had recognised a couple of familiar faces from the day of the exam - Otoya and the girl who shyly introduced herself as Nanami Haruka. She'd wanted to stick around longer to talk, but with a stern look from her brother she'd settled down at her desk; just in time to see Nanami almost flattened by an excitable young man who kept babbling about someone named Elizabeth.

 _At least,_ Sora thought as she and Subaru joined the line to grab some food, _At least everyone seems nice so far._ Someone bumped into the back of her, making her weak legs cave in. Before she could stop herself or grab onto her brother for support, something steadied her, holding her elbow and keeping her upright by supporting the small of her back. When she'd regained herself, Sora looked for her rescuer. It was the quiet boy from her class - Hijirikawa-san, she thought she remembered as his name.

" _Arigatou gozaimasu!_ " She said, truly grateful that she hadn't been trampled by the others. He nodded, and after making sure that she was okay, let his hands fall from where they had been gently supporting her.

"You're welcome." And then as quickly as he had appeared, Hijirikawa-san turned on his heels and walked away - Sora could see a small commotion happening off to the side of the line; she recognised Nanami surrounded by the good-looking man from before and another, shorter boy.

 _She's going to popular around here huh?_ Sora cast a longing look towards the small group and sighed. They'd been here a few hours but she'd barely had the opportunity to meet anyone new - either due to a busy first morning, or because Subaru had dragged her away from anyone she might talk to.

It wasn't his fault though - he'd always been protective, and the episode that had happened at the entrance exam had only made him more so.

She exhaled. _This isn't so bad._

They made their way up to the front of the line and Sora took the opportunity to slip away while Subaru was busy ordering food for them both.

He tried to protest but he was stuck between stopping her and making sure his sister could eat something for the no doubt hectic afternoon classes.

"Sora-chan!" Otoya bounded up to her, from where he had been sitting and eating. She returned his smile tenfold and any worries about having angered her brother melted away.

"Otoya!"

"Long time no see!" He looked around, "Is your brother here? It was him that saved you that time wasn't it? I wanted to introduce myself properly."

Sora smiled, "Subaru's in the line getting some food right now - and when he comes back he'll probably lecture me for leaving him behind."

The person Otoya had been eating with, stood and joined them both. It was the cheerful, tall man who had yelled out 'Elizabeth' from that morning.

Otoya quickly introduced her, "Na-chan! This is Shimono Sora. She's in our class too!"

The tall boy perked up when he saw her, "I'm Shinomiya Natsuki! _Yoroshiku!_ "

He looked so _huggable_ that Sora couldn't help herself - for good or for worse, she gave him a surprise greeting hug. Shinomiya laughed and warmly hugged her back as though they'd been friends for years, rather than acquaintances for just a few moments.

 _They're going to think I'm foreign if I keep hugging everyone_.

"S-S-Sora?" She turned to see Subaru, who looked so shocked by what he'd just witnessed he looked just about ready to drop the bread that he'd bought for the both of them.

She gestured for him to join them, "This is my brother, Shimono Subaru." Subaru looked torn between scolding her or letting her off the hook.

He bowed deeply, "Please forgive my sister for her casual manner - she's still adapting to being away from the hospital!"

Sora stuck her elbow into his ribs when he mentioned the hospital. It wasn't as though she minded Otoya or Shinomiya knowing, but still - what a thing to say to something you just met! She snorted indignantly when he yelped in pain, but the other two young men just laughed at the exchange.

"You two are twins, aren't you?" Shinomiya asked cheerfully. "Syo-chan has a twin too!" And then suddenly struck with an idea, his eyes lit up and he grabbed her hand, pulling her away.

"You have to meet Syo-chan, Sora-chan!" He scanned the room and when his eyes fell upon the person he was looking for he smiled and ran towards his destination, while Sora struggled to stay upwards.

When he finally stopped, she was exhausted, and she doubled over, panting heavily.

"Natsuki?" The voice that spoke sounded boyish and just the slightest bit concerned. "What are you doing kidnapping girls?"

"Ah! Syo-chan! This is Sora-chan." Sora had yet to raise her head, forced to focus on controlling her breathing, but she was reduced to shallow puffs.

Something ducked down into her view and she saw a boyish young man - around her own age - blonde hair covered with a hat. His azure eyes were concerned - but they flickered with understanding.

He stayed right where he was and began to talk to her, keeping his voice low so as not to make a spectacle of the matter.

"Try and match my breathing," he told her. "Deep breaths - right into your stomach, that's good - and… release. And again... Breathe out. You're doing good."

Sora noticed after a while that her heart had begun to slow again, and her breathing was going back to it seemed that she was okay, the boy who had helped her through it all quickly stood up, but not before offering her his hand.

"Jeez, Natsuki," the boy complained, "At least have _some_ consideration for the people who you kidnap."

Shinomiya bowed his head, looking a lot like a dejected puppy, "I'm really sorry, Sora-chan."

She shook her head, "It's nothing. It's my fault for having a weak body." She thought she saw curiosity in the eyes of the other boy, but the look disappeared when he shook his head and gave her a cheeky grin. "I'm Kurusu Syo! _Yoroshiku!_ "

"Kurusu-san," she said after consideration. "Thank you very much!"

He laughed at her earnest politeness, "You can call me Syo. It feels weird being so polite when we're the same age."

"Syo…" She tried to hold it but she couldn't, "...-kun."

"Close enough," he laughed, nodding with approval.

Shinomiya still looked downcast and Syo-kun nudged him, "Oi, Natsuki!"

"I'm really, really sorry, Sora-chan!" The young man said again, bowing even lower than before, "I should have been careful after Su-chan mentioned you were in hospital!"

He began rummaging through his pockets, and Syo-kun took the opportunity to speak further.

"You were in hospital? Is it okay for you to be here?"

She nodded, fixing a wide grin on her face, "It's fine - I've been out for over a year now! And now that I'm finally here, I can put all my energy into becoming the greatest idol duet ever!" She pumped her fist in the air, determination set into her features.

"Idol duet?" Syo-kun mused, "With who?"

"My twin brother - Subaru!"

Shinomiya made a triumphant outburst and held something small out to her. It was a Piyo-chan keychain.

"Here, Sora-chan! You can have this - it can be your good luck charm."

"You don't have to do tha-"

"I _do_! Please accept it with my apologies again! I won't take no for an answer," he added when he saw her ready to protest. She felt so touched by the gesture that she gave him another quick hug.

"HUH?" Syo-kun stammered. Shinomiya laughed warmly, "Didn't I tell you Syo-chan? We're friends!"

"Sora!" It was Subaru again, "Are you alright? Here, eat this quickly before the bell rings." He pushed the unwrapped bread into her hands and watched until she took a tentative bite.

"Good," he said, nodding approvingly. "You need to eat properly now that school is going to be so trying on your body."

She blushed when she saw Syo-kun's amused expression as he saw Subaru being a mother hen. To shut him up from worrying over her, she quickly devoured her bread in a few more bites.

It only made him more enthusiastic, "Here. Try and fit in another one - I heard that afternoon classes are exhausting…" But no sooner had she begun to unwrap the bread, the bell rang, signalling all students to return to their respective classroom.

Subaru sighed, and tucked the rest of the food into his bag, "Tell me if you begin to feel faint," he instructed her as they headed back to the classroom. She nodded and then gasped, "I didn't say goodbye to Syo-kun!" The moment she said it, she felt something tap her shoulder.

"See ya later, Sora-chan!" Syo-kun grinned, spinning around to head towards his own class.

She nodded happily, " _Un_!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ


	3. Nanami & Sora: STARSTRUCK!

**Subaru** **スバル**

Subaru spent most of his afternoon keeping an eye on Sora and making sure that she didn't assault any of their other classmates.

 _Jeez,_ he thought irritably as he watched Sora help pass a note across to the student sitting beside her. _Who hugs someone they just met anyway?_

For most of the day it had felt as though God didn't want them to experience this first day together; there was always someone who wanted his sister's attention - for better or worse. First it was the boy who had helped her find the school on the exam day, then the cheerful giant that she had decided to hug right away, before being dragged to the other side of the cafeteria to be introduced to _another_ boy. Asides from Nanami, how many girls had Sora actually spoken to since arriving here?

 _I suppose she'll have her roommate at least_. And then his brotherly instinct really kicked in and before he knew it, his form had bolted upright, "WHO'S GONNA BE HER ROOMMATE?!"

The entire class burst into laughter and when he came to and realised what had happened, blood rushed to his cheeks. At the front of the class, Ringo-sensei appeared half-annoyed, half-amused. The cross-dressing idol made his way to Subaru's desk and shook his head in disbelief.

"Thinking about girls already? Tch, tch." The idol flicked his perfect hair across one shoulder and wagged his finger at Subaru, who was self-conscious of every student's eyes on him - including his sister's. He lowered himself back into his chair and avoided meeting anyone's gaze.

Ringo-sensei smiled and stole a glance at Sora, who was torn between embarrassment on behalf of her twin, and amusement at the entire scene.

"You two are the Shimono twins, aren't you?" Ringo-sensei asked playfully. "The twins who overcame all odds - both mental and physical - in order to pursue their love for singing!"

He tapped on the desk expectantly for Subaru to lift his head, "Isn't that right, Su...ba..ru?~~" He accentuated each syllable with a cheeky twinkle in his eye.

"I- I don't sing," was all he could mumble back.

"Oh~~?" His teacher turned their attention to Sora instead, "Is that right, Sora-chan?"

Her eyes widened and her lips hesitated to form words until she managed to squeak out, "We're a double act."

Ringo-sensei clapped his hands and laughed triumphantly, "Is that so? Well, I'm sure we'd all _love_ to hear you sing." He looked to the other students, "Right, _minna_?"

They nodded enthusiastically - including the two boys who Sora had spoken to at lunchtime.

Subaru swallowed hard, trying his best to use his twin abilities to tell Sora to make up a valid excuse - she'd always been more imaginative than him when it came to excuses. Surely she knew enough to know that he wouldn't sing - that he _couldn't_ sing? Not since last June. Not since…

But Sora had already bounced up and was looking to him with her usual playful expression, "Let's do it, _Nii-chan!_ "

He shook his head roughly, "Absolutely not."

" _Please?_ " Her eyes were bright, eager to prove and determined. It had all been the same that last time too; she'd begged to sing one more song while the summer festival cheered for an encore and then-

"NO!" He shot up and before she could say one more word, had marched out of the class - out of the building, intent on going anywhere that wasn't… there.

He exhaled heavily as he followed a path that led down towards a lake. The school building could be seen in the distance, and the trees around him helped him feel sheltered from his sudden vulnerability.

How many times had he told Sora that he wouldn't sing anymore? That he wouldn't perform?

She's pressed him over and over again, sometimes becoming seriously upset when his answer never changed, and yet she'd so casually approached the topic in class.

He'd come to this school to compose. If he could no longer be part of the duet act that he and Sora had promised to create when they were older, then he would compose for her instead. He thought that it had seemed fine that way; that _she_ had seemed fine with that plan too.

But no, her plan was always to sing with him. To make him sing again no matter what his thoughts about it were.

He wondered if this had been what she'd planned all along, and that making him join the Composer Program was just a way to make him enrol in the academy in the first place.

 _I wouldn't have put it past her,_ he thought bitterly. _She never listens when she wants something. She never considers the feelings of others. Why can't she ever act like an older sister?_

Subaru sighed again, regretting the way he'd shifted his bitterness onto Sora instead. It wasn't like it was her fault - she just wanted to pursue their dreams together. It was frustrating. Not singing was frustrating.

He stopped and watched as a black cat rubbed its head against a wooden post that belonged to the dock; purring as it erased the itch behind its ear before stalking off into the trees.

The water was crystal clear; as tranquil as the day everything had fallen apart at the summer festival last year.

The tune found Subaru and before the sound could be flattened and quenched in his throat, he began to sing the last song he'd ever sung:

 **On the summer's day that still echoed with sorrow**

Mada kanashimi ga nokotte iru natsu no hi ni

 **You came back from the dead**

anata wa shi kara modotta

 **A silver angel**

Gin no tenshi

 **Tugging on her red string**

kanojo no akai himo o hippatte

 **Blessed by the sky.**

sora ni shukufuku sa reru.

 **Earth, Sky**

Chikyū, sora

 **Yin, Yang**

Onmyō

 **We are two**

futaridesuga,

 **But really one.**

hontōni hitori

 **And I missed the voice that matched mine;**

Watashi no koe ni atta koe ga kikoenakatta

 **Our lullaby.**

OYUA RARABAI

A moment of long awaited silence hung over him before his ears caught another sound. It was a voice - a proud one.

"HA! Shimono-san: I have been _waiting_ for this moment!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Sora** __ **天**

To her utmost surprise, Sora was lost again. After Subaru stormed out of class, Ringo-sensei had said that he'd let everyone go to their dorms and begin properly moving in. Sora had wondered if maybe she should search for her brother, but then she remembered how his expression had darkened when she'd suggested they sing together, and she decided to let him come to her when he was ready. It wasn't as if she'd even know where to begin looking for him anyhow, and knowing her she'd end up getting more lost.

As it was, she'd managed to follow Nanami out of the main school building, which is where she found a large group of students checking the noticeboard for their dorm room assignments.

This was something she _was_ excited about! Roommates always ended up being great friends in all the manga she had read while in hospital, and she'd made friends with the few children that passed through her ward at times, before they'd been discharged.

She hoped that the same would happen for her here.

 _Better play it safe and wait my turn_ , she decided, not wanting to reply what had happened in the cafeteria. Her legs trembled with anticipation as each student in front of her read the name of the person they'd be rooming with until graduation.

She bounced from foot to foot, humming her lullaby under her breath. _I hope they're nice. I hope they don't mind helping me get around when Subaru can't. OH! And I hope that we can have a midnight feast one day and tell lots of stories and jokes and-_

Her daydream was cut off when the last student in front of her disappeared, leaving her alone with the noticeboard. She could barely keep the buzz of her brain silent enough to concentrate on the characters. Her name was simple enough to read: **下野** **天** **.**

However, her fidgeting mind refused to slow down, which is why it took awhile for her to spot her name at the bottom of the list - with the space opposite it completely blank.

Her heart sank.

" _Sonna…_ " She trailed off, the disappointment weighing down her tongue. How had she gotten _this_ unlucky?

Taking her room number into consideration, she managed to find her way to the front of the girls dorm - mostly by following other, more functional human beings who didn't rely on her brother to get them from point A to point B.

 _I hope he finds his dorm okay,_ she thought, taking a step inside the door. It was a simple enough building layout, with a small lobby for visitors to sit and wait. An elevator was to her left, while she spied a set of stairs on her right.

She'd never gone up a huge number of stairs before - probably because Subaru had always insisted she use an elevator or that he carry her himself when it came to actions that might impact her health.

 _But Subaru isn't here right now,_ she reminded herself. _So why shouldn't I try it? I'll go slow, and prove to myself that I can do something this simple._

She remembered her room number: 221.

 _But what floor does that mean it's on?_ She'd completely forgotten to check and she mentally kicked herself.

Thankfully, she'd be free to wander about without needing to drag her suitcase about with her - all luggage had been delivered to the rooms that morning while they were in class. The only thing she had to worry about was delivering herself there.

Sora clapped, " _Yoshi!_ I can do this!"

She took a deep breath the way Syo-kun had instructed her, and began her ascent.

 _~ 76 stairs later ~_

Sora wanted to die.

"Why would anyone _willingly_ use these things?" She panted, leaning against the doorway of the second floor.

She had made it. Unharmed - more or less.

She found her room tucked away at the other end of the floor, next to a smaller staircase labelled:

 _To the rooftop._

After checking that her stuff was indeed all there, and tucking her room key into her school blazer pocket, she decided to risk her possible death by stairs and go further up.

Surprisingly, the door to the rooftop was unlocked, and she sighed in relief as the wind reached out to her; ruffling her hair and making her school skirt flap violently. Her laugh echoed and the wind carried it away, towards the forest.

She properly took in the sight below. There was a forest, but also a lake with it's own little dock, and a cute little gazebo a little ways off from it. For a moment she thought she saw the shadow of a person, but quickly put it down to a trick of the light. It was almost night after all, and the moon could already be seen peeking out from a stray cloud.

Except, there was something that she _could_ see and it definitely wasn't a figment of her imagination.

Nanami, the shy girl from her class, was chasing… a cat?

There was no way she'd imagine something so silly, right?  
"I have to make sure I'm not hallucinating from using stairs," she told herself, running towards the door.

This time she used the much appreciated elevator that happily hummed to her as it moved her all the way back down to the ground floor.

She hurried outside only to be greeted by the full bloomed moon. But this wasn't the time to be appreciating the moon - this was the time to be making sure that she wasn't in some sort of lonely-induced hallucinatory state of mind.

Or so she told herself. Part of her just really want to explore.

The path to the lake was easily marked and luckily lit by easy to follow lanterns. Unless she was a total idiot, there was no way that she'd not be able to find her way back safely to her room.

It was as she thought. Nanami seemed to be in awe of something however, and it wasn't a cat.

Sora's legs almost gave out, but she managed to finish making her way towards Nanami, but that didn't make her stop stuttering herself bright red under all that moonlight.

There was a tall man, with perfectly styled hair and distant eyes.

"HAYOTO-sama!" Both she and Nanami squeaked out at the same time.

He glared at the pair of them, both quivering as they faced the idol in total awe.

"I am Ichinose Tokiya." He said, after they'd composed themselves somewhat. Sora's heart was trembling, and the sweat that was gathering at the base of her neck was giving her a chill.

Beside her, Nanami didn't seem to understand, "Huh?"

'Ichinose Tokiya' stood but still refused to face them, "Do not compare me to that frivolous man."

"But… aren't you HAYATO-sama?" Nanami pressed on. Sora studied her carefully. She was the sort of huggable person like Shinomiya. Totally pure and innocent and… well, a lot like herself, doubly so if they were fans of the 'infamous' HAYATO.

Another voice answered her question, "Oh, no. You are wrong!" The human whirlwind that followed frightened the life out of poor Nanami. At the end of the display, Sora recognised the principal Shining Saotome, with his usual brilliant stage smile and savvy sunglasses.

Nanami was overwhelmed, "What? Principal? When did you get there?"

He brushed off her concern, "I've been here the whole time."

Sora decided not to say any sentence that included the word 'creepy' in it, just to be safe.

"He is not HAYATO." Shining continued, "He is HAYATO's younger twin brother, Ichinose Tokiya."  
 _How many twins are in this school?_ Sora wanted to yell. There was some merit to the story, but it did still feel like a cover up. She tried to tune in to Shining's explanation but her ears couldn't focus and she found herself hearing a soundless drone. This ALWAYS happened. Why was she so unfocused all the time? It was annoying.

Still, when Nanami shook her back into reality and suggested that they turn in for the night, she didn't complain. Tomorrow was going to be full on.

She was in high spirits despite it all, until she reached her empty dorm room and she remembered that she would be by herself for the entire year. Just like she had been in the hospital.

This wouldn't do at all.

 _Where is Subaru? I thought he'd at least make sure I found my room._

Maybe she'd been leaning on him too much recently; perhaps she should go out and look for him - or maybe visit his room?

 _Although there's probably rules about that stuff here, huh? Stuff like no girls in the boys dorm. Although… I AM his sister so maybe…_

She grinned and dashed out of her room for the second time that night.

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	4. Three Twins Become One TEAM!

"URGH!" He groaned into his pillow the moment he collapsed on his newly made bed. His prior encounter with the principal was still making his head spin, and he wanted more than anything to make it stop.

" _HA! Shimono-san: I have been waiting for this moment!"_

That had been the turning point for his evening.

Subaru didn't want to know why Shining Saotome just so happened to be lurking about by the dock at such a random time of day; just that his sudden appearance had given him the biggest fright of his life - and that wasn't including the conversation that was to follow.

" _Tell me Mister Shimono, why you are not part of my Idol Course." Subaru almost didn't understand him when he suddenly crossed into another language._

" _I don't sing," he'd told Shining Saotome, with crossed arms. "Not anymore."  
_ " _Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, no!" Saotome pointed a large finger directly at him. "You are what Japan needs! You are what I need!"_

 _Subaru blinked, "I'm sorry?"_

" _You will transfer into the Idol Course starting tomorrow!" The former idol declared, "And you shall be moved into S Class!"_

He let out another loud groan; thankful that his roommate had gone to help a friend move into their room. It was then that he heard a loud THUMP from just outside his door, followed by a few seconds of silence. Finally, something tapped his door, almost timidly.

"Subaru? Are you in there?" It was Sora - of course she'd come and visit hi- HUH?

Bolting up, he sped across the room and yanked the door open to see his lovely older sister beaming at him.

"So this _is_ your room!" She said brightly, seemingly oblivious that she was out-of-bounds. "Is your roommate here? Can I say hi?"

She leaned forward and poked her head inside. He tried not to be annoyed that she seemed disappointed that he was alone.

"Did you get a room by yourself too then?" She asked. "I didn't get a roommate either." Her silver eyes flashed with an emotion he recognised from her days in hospital: loneliness.

It was obvious how she felt about having a room to herself, and he felt a twinge of guilt tug at his heart for not helping her settle in.

"No, I… uh - my roommate is just out at the moment," he said. "But he'll be back soon so you should probably go before we get into trouble. You know girls aren't allowed in here." His voice returned to his usual parental nag. She grinned.

"But I'm your _sister!_ And your twin! Why can't I visit my darling younger brother?" His eyes widened when he noticed the figure standing in the hall behind her.

It was Jinguji Ren - the other man from the day of the entrance exam. The only reason he knew his name was because the people in A Class hadn't shut up about the rivalry between Hijirikawa Masato and the famous Jinguji Ren, both sons of major conglomerate presidents.

He was smirking; his eyes amused as they watched Sora ramble on, completely oblivious to her audience.

She kept going, clearly annoyed that her brother wasn't listening to her.

"Oi, Subaru! Listen to me! Why can't I visit you? Would it just be an annoyance?" Subaru opened his mouth to correct her, but she wouldn't let him. She stood on her tiptoes so that she was the same height as him and winked.

"Or is the reason I can't visit because you think that we'd end up doing what we did _last time?_ "

He felt himself go very red - even more so when he saw Jinguji raise his eyebrow. He couldn't take it any longer, and held his sister at arms length, "That was an _accident!_ And I said I was sorry!"

She smiled even wider at his flustered face, "I know, but it's fun to tease you - otherwise you're just too perfect."

Slowly, his rapid heartbeat calmed itself, "Sheesh - can you at least be considerate of the things you say - even as jokes? People might get the wrong impression." His eyes wandered back over to Jinguji, and this time Sora followed them. When she realised who had been watching them that entire time, her pale cheeks tinged with pink.

"Oh." She twirled one of her silver bunches around her finger, averting her gaze.

Subaru stepped forward and bowed apologetically, "Please forgive my sister and I, Jinguji-san. I'll be escorting her out of the boys dorm immediately." He reached out to grab his sister's hand but Jinguji just chuckled, "Now, now. I'm hardly going to complain about seeing such a cute girl wandering around, although," he added with a wink at Sora, "You're probably lucky you were with your brother, or I might have whisked you away." Her blush deepened to scarlet.

Subaru instinctively tightened his grip around her hand, "Excuse me, Jinguji-san, but I really should make sure she makes it back to her dorm safely."

The other man laughed, "By all means."

Satisfied, Subaru lead Sora away. "By the way," Jinguji called out to them, "You can call me Ren." But his echo was met with an empty hallway.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

"You sure are a pain sometimes," Subaru complained, stopping outside the girl dorm. Behind him he heard Sora scoff, probably still flustered from their run in with Ren.

"If you'd have told me he was standing right behind me then I never would have mentioned something like _that_."

"I thought we'd originally promised never to mention it again!" He pointed out. In truth, the time he'd accidentally bumped lips with her was only embarrassing when mentioned in front of other people. It wasn't like he saw his sister as anything other than a sister - but to even _think_ that someone might get the wrong impression made him very wary, and he was totally self-conscious about how his over-protectiveness would appear to an outsider. They were twins, and people could be very creative about that type of relationship.

"Anyway," he said, yawning, "You should get some rest for tomorrow." He didn't mention what Shining Saotome had told him earlier, nor did he plan to.

 _He can't have been serious,_ he decided, watching Sora head inside. _I could never really be an idol._

For some reason, his heart ached.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Sora** **天**

The moment class started that morning, Sora knew this was where she belonged. She sat, totally entranced by what Ringo-sensei was saying; barely noticing when Subaru was called out of class by a messenger.

"Here, we have both people who want to be idols and people who want to compose music for idols. You'll be studying together, so you can get to know each other better." Her heart skipped a beat as he looked to them all expectantly, "So, at the end of the first semester, idol course and composer course students will form pairs."

A ripple of surprise made its way across the room, but avoided Sora. The smile on her face was contagious and the excited feeling within her threatened to explode in her chest. This was where she and Subaru would become idols together - her childhood dream, the dream she'd clung to for all those days in hospital; it was finally going to come true, one class at a time.

She turned to share that smile with her brother, only to remember the way he'd left so suddenly. She shrugged off the anxiety that tried to crawl onto her shoulders. It wasn't as if she was alone here anymore - she'd met so many of her classmates, that she was sure everyone else would be nice too.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Subaru** **スバル**

Before he'd had time to protest, Shining Saotome had been true to his word. The messenger had led him into an ambush that ended with his introduction into S Class - all within the span of 3 minutes. As a result, he'd been dazed and zoned out until Hyūga -sensei - his new teacher, and another of Sora's idols - had begun talking about the formation of pairs for the year. After he'd got over his own starstruckness, Subaru managed to tune into reality.

"Your partners are not limited to students in S Class. You are free to partner with anyone of your choosing from any class." He breathed a sigh of relief from where he sat at the back of the class. At least he could still pair up with Sora - one of the conditions that he'd managed to mention in those 3 minutes was that he continued the composer course.

Hyūga-sensei continued, "You will participate in the graduation audition with your partner. The path to your professional debut will be open for the winning pair."

The competitive tension in the room was incredible; electric staticity that had everyone on edge. Everyone in the school wanted a professional debut, but the people in this class were arguably the ones most likely to achieve that.

 _Why am I here?_ He buried his face in his hands, focusing on how he was going to explain his class transfer to his sister.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Sora** **天**

She was ready to burst, and she wanted more than anything to jump out of her seat and hug something, or cry with joy. It didn't happen very often, but the reality had set in. She had 6 months to find a partner by the end of the semester, but she already knew exactly who it would be. More than anything, that meant that they'd have an advantage over everyone else if they used it properly. Sora knew that the dynamic between an idol and their composer was of the utmost importance in order to create music that lived and breathed. She thanked God silently that Subaru had chosen the composer course.

 _I wonder if he knew this would happen and that's why he chose it over the idol course._

"One more thing! There's one very important rule," Ringo-sensei announced. Silence fell over the room.

Sora could hear the breathing of Shinomiya from where he sat behind her. Like her, he'd been tapping his desk with excitement as class had gone on. What was this rule?

"No love allowed! Male and female relations are strictly forbidden! Violators of this rule will be forced to leave the school immediately. This is the Academy's rule."

Sora didn't miss a beat, "What about female and female relations? Or male and male relations?"

The moment of horror-inspired silence soon passed, and her classmates laughed - but she noted down the faces of those who sniggered and made a note to steer clear of them.

Ringo-sensei shook his head in disapproval, but he was smiling, "Of course, the same principle applies to all relationships." He bounced on his toes. "Now," he shot his winning idol smile at everyone."We'll do a recording test to check your skill levels. You'll form pairs just for this one time."

Sora's hands quivered with anticipation.

"A student from the idol course will write lyrics, and a student from the composer course will compose a song."

Her first assignment with Subaru!

Until she heard the dreaded words: "I selected your partners for you totally randomly."

Students strained their eyes to catch a glimpse of the large list that had been pinned to the board. All around her, Sora could hear the different reactions - disgruntled boys; girls who were cooing after being paired with a cute boy; Otoya's cry of relief when he saw he had been paired with Nanami. Yet she couldn't bring herself to look.

"Oh," Ringo-sensei said. "Sora-chan? There was a shortage of people so I asked Hyūga-sensei to provide you with a partner, seeing as they're also doing a recording test." He frowned when he saw Sora with her head on her desk, eyes tightened.

"Now, Sora-chan - if you want to be a professional you need to act like one; even if you are asked to work with someone you don't know."

She reluctantly lifted her head to see him nodding matter-of-factly, "However, you don't need to be worry - you've been put in a group of three with your brother and another S Class student."

Sora perked up a bit, "Really?" She craned her neck, and sighed with relief when she saw her name.

 **Shimono Sora:** **下野 天** **Shimono Subaru:** **下野 スバル** **Kurusu Syo** **来栖 翔**

So she and Subaru would be working with Syo-kun. But wait a minute…

"Doesn't this mean that Syo-kun and I will be writing lyrics together?"

Ringo-sensei nodded. "Writing lyrics together into a song that carries meaning for both of you will be a challenge - but that's what it means to be a professional! _Ganbatte ne,_ Sora-chan!"

He headed back to the front of the class, leaving Sora in her thoughts. This was a considerable obstacle. She'd never thought she would need to work with someone other than her brother, but she supposed that it was naive of her to assume she'd have that luxury as she was starting out. Still, it wasn't all bad. At least Syo-kun seemed a pretty nice person - and he seemed to understand her situation.

 _Come to think of it, he does seem a tiny bit familiar._

She became aware that Nanami had sat down behind the piano with sheet music ready to play. The shy girl seemed beyond nervous.

 _Maybe the piece is really hard to play straight off the bat._

At least a minute went by, but to Sora it seemed much longer, so she could only guess how long it felt to Nanami. All around her, students had begun to whisper, not bothering to lower their voices - which Nanami could very obviously hear.

 _Like the times the doctors at the hospitals would whisper about her chances of living past 16 when she was laying only a few feet away in bed._

" _Don't tell me she can't read music,"_ a girl sniggered.

" _You're kidding?"_

" _I don't believe it."_

" _Don't tell me she can't even play the piano."_

"I can play the piano!" Nanami insisted."My grandmother taught me how to play!"

But her words only made things worse.

" _Her grandmother?"_

" _She didn't have a professional teacher?"_

" _How did she even get in here?"_ Someone asked.

" _She must be well-connected."_

Otoya stood, "Nanami - don't listen to them!"

They didn't give up.

" _Ittoki-kun, you're the worst off. You're partnered with this girl."_

"Enough!" Sora was surprised by the voice, only to realise that it was hers, and her entire body shook with the seething anger that she felt. All her excitement had boiled into rage - rage directed at such apathetic classmates.

Despite herself, she stood and continued to glare daggers at the people who had said such spiteful things.

"She's not the only one here who didn't have a professional teacher, or come from a family with connections in the entertainment industry!" Sora directed her voice to Nanami, trying to sound reassuring as she saw that she was on the verge of crying. "Be proud of yourself Nanami! You beat who knows how many other applicants into the school - and again by getting into A Class! These _baka_ , they've had everything handed to them on a silver plate, but that doesn't prove their love for music like getting into this school does for us and others like us!"

Her voice shook as the last sentence left her lips.

The class fell silent, and Otoya flashed her a grateful smile and gave her a thumbs up.

Hiding behind the piano, Sora could barely make out the tears flowing down Nanami's face. She looked so pitiful, and delicate.

 _How can I not help her?_ Sora made her way over to the piano and sat beside her.

"May I?"

Nanami nodded, and made room so that Sora could slide into the right place, her feet placed tentatively on the pedals. She glanced at the sheet music she was to play and took a deep breath.

She'd never actually played the piano in front of an audience - mostly because being her teacher, Subaru was much better at it than her; who'd only managed to pick it back up when a piano had been brought to the rec room in the hospital - and she'd been feeling well enough to practise.

" _What a freak,_ " someone whispered.

" _How can someone like that seriously be in the idol course?"_

" _It was her twin that left class earlier, right?"_

" _I saw her coming out of the boys dorm yesterday with him."_

" _Really? Do you they're doi-"_

"This isn't a shoujo manga, thank you very much!" Sora declared, placing her fingers on the keys.

With another reassuring glance at Nanami, she began to play.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

Sora thought she had played well, if a little clumsily - only missing a few notes here and there. Those select classmates still made remarks about it, but she tried not to let it bother her. The main thing was that the attention had been drawn away from Nanami, and onto someone who was better equipped to deal with the scrutiny of privileged people.

Still, that didn't mean that she wasn't relieved when the bell rang for lunch. There was some melon bread waiting with her name on it.

She'd have to find out where Subaru went, and then find Syo-kun to discuss as a group how they wanted to make their song work. Just as she was about to enter the cafeteria, someone stopped her.

" _Ano…_ Shimono-san?" Sora turned to see Nanami nervously standing behind her, with another, more confident looking girl.

"Oh, Nanami-chan - are you alright?"

Nanami nodded, "I just… well I.. wanted to…" She made a frustrated noise and bowed deeply.

" _Hontonni arigatou gozaimashita!"_ She straightened up, "Your words were very kind and I am truly grateful for them - even though we don't know each other very well."

Sora laughed, "It was nothing - friends look out for each other, right?"

Nanami paused, and after processing those words, gave a small smile, _Un_! Thank you, Shimono-san!"

"You mean, ' _Thank you, Sora-chan!'_ " Sora teased, but Nanami went pink. "Thank you, Sora-chan."

The two girls - the other who had been called Tomo-chan - waved goodbye and disappeared into the busy cafeteria. Sora clapped her hands, having cheered up a bit.

 _Two new friends!_

Even the thought that she'd made at least eight enemies in her class from her outburst wasn't enough to put a damper on her spirits. She spotted Subaru and Syo-kun sitting at a table together along with Shinomiya and she went to join them, but then cried out in alarm. Something jutted out in front of her and she stumbled, losing her balance and falling to the floor. Pain shot up her arm as she tried to break her fall.

Cursing inwardly, she saw the face of one of the classmates she had spoken out against, smirking as he looked down on her.

"We didn't appreciate what you said back in class, _Shimono-sama_ ," he said. Snorting, she tried to get up but with one foot he pinned her hand to the ground. It didn't hurt, but the skin on the top of her hand ached from the pressure.

She scanned the cafeteria for her brother or someone else to help her, but the boy's friends had formed a wall between her and Subaru's table; everyone else either hadn't noticed or was too busy lining up for food - or simply didn't want to get involved.

"You realise how immature this is?" Sora told them. "And the fact that I'm the one saying that means a lot."

He ignored her, "You called us idiots."

 _Well, no duh._ She had to bite her lip to refrain from saying it outright.

 _Why can't we be happy students studying alongside each other?_ She begged to know, _Why is there always that one person who had to take things further?_

"It was honest criticism," she pointed out. "The same kind of thing your manager would tell you if you wrote a terrible song."

His eyes flared, " _You little-_ "

"You seem to need lessons concerning the proper way to treat a lady." The wall of people dispersed as they were interrupted, making way for her rescuer who happened to be no other than Jinguji Ren.

The boy who stood on her hand backed away quickly, shoe snagging on her hand and making her cry out - barely, but Ren seemed to hear.

"I suggest you apologise," he advised the boy with a curt nod, his expression neutral.

The boy bowed frantically, "Please forgive me!" He repeated the gesture until Ren gave him a look, and he made his escape.

Ren turned his attention to her, "Are you alright?" She nodded, and got up quickly, swaying from the effort. Her hand was sore and red, but otherwise unharmed.

"Thank you, Ren…-san."

He gave her an amused wink, "You're welcome. But I'd prefer to be thanked by knowing the name of the cute damsel I rescued."

She blushed at his flirtations, "I'm.. Sh-Shimono Sora."

"Sora-chan," he repeated, "It suits you."

"Sora - over here!" Over Ren's shoulder she saw Subaru wave her over, but when he saw who she was speaking with, his face darkened.

"I'd better go!" She said hurriedly, "Thank you again!"

" _Ja mata_ ," he winked.

Shinomiya patted the space between himself and Subaru, "Sora-chan! Sit next to me!"

Subaru made a face but didn't say anything as Sora seated herself down, opposite Syo-kun.

"Why were you talking to _him_?" Subaru wanted to know. She shrugged, "We just bumped into each when I was coming over."

She stifled a yawn and regretted the moment she covered her mouth.

"Your hand!" Subaru grabbed it and tried to steal a look, almost pulling her with him.

"It's really red - and is that a shoe print…?"

She reclaimed herself and hid away her hand. "It's really nothing."

On her other side, Shinomiya gave her a reassuring smile, "It's probably for the best to tell him what happened in class today, Sora-chan."

Subaru snapped up the new information and even Syo-kun leaned forward and stopped eating.

"What happened?" Subaru demanded."Sora!" He pleaded when she didn't answer straight away.

She clapped her hands and gave him her trademark smile - which was lacking her usual energy.

"It's really not that bad - I just stood up for Nanami-chan and… made a bit of a scene while I did it. I mean, if I call someone an idiot in front of everyone, it really isn't that much of a surprise that they'd trip me over and try and stop me from getting up again - right?"

"THEY DID WHAT!"

"Calm down, _Nii-chan!_ It's okay - Ren-san helped me and everything's fine; so we'd better start working on our song."

Sora looked pleadingly to Shinomiya and Syo-kun for assistance and they seemed torn.

"Someone hurt Sora-chan," Shinomiya said sadly. "And all she did was an act of kindness."

" _Ne_ Sora-chan," she met Syo-kun's gaze and was a little taken back at how neutral they seemed, compared to how energetic and warm he had been yesterday. She regarded him curiously, " _Hai?"_

"If something like that happens again…"

She grinned, " _Daijoubu!_ I've watched more than enough Prince of Fighting in hospital to know how to use his signature move… **PURINSU NO TEKKEN!** "

Subaru and Shinomiya both jumped when she suddenly shouted out her favourite quote, but Syo-kun couldn't have been more animated at the reference.

" _Maji de_? You watch Prince of Fighting too?"

Subaru shook his head, ruffling her hair fondly. "She watches it so much I've had to stop her from doing the stupidest of things ever since she was released from hospital - like when she attempted to jump into a tree from her bedroom window to try and save the neighbour's cat."

"I could have done it!" She protested.

"If I hadn't have grabbed you at the last minute, you almost certainly would have been put on the ambulance in a body bag."

Syo-kun laughed, "That sounds like something my brother would say to me!"

The tension from before had melted away entirely, leaving Sora and Syo-kun to eagerly discuss everything they loved about their role model. Shinomiya smiled happily, but Subaru just sighed.

"I can't believe that Hyūga Ryūya is really my sensei." Syo-kun said happily, resting his hands behind his head.

Sora's eyes widened and her hands slammed the table, "No way! He's here?"

He paused, "Didn't Subaru tell you?"

It was her turn to be puzzled, "Should he have?"

With a sheepish look thrown her way from her twin, she soon got the picture.

"When you left class earlier… Was that to go to S Class?"

He nodded.

"Then, you've been transferred there?"

Another nod.

"That's GREAT news, _Nii-chan!_ " She threw her arms around him, "Your talent has been recognised! Aren't you exci- OOMPH!"

She stopped when he shoved melon bread in her mouth - effectively shutting her up.

Sora didn't mind though - her body was buzzing and she'd almost completely forgotten about the events that had happened in class.

The four of them spent the rest of the lunch hour chatting freely amongst each other; Syo-kun and herself kept throwing references at each other with cheeky smiles, and by the time lunch rang, her heart was singing with the connections she'd made.

She bowed to her brother and Syo-kun, "I look forward to working with you both!" With a smile, she skipped back to the class, humming the theme tune of the Prince of Fighting.

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	5. WE ARE ABSOLUTE!

**Sora** **天**

Sora closed her eyes as she leaned back, feeling the rough bark of the tree dig into her back while she filled her lungs with fresh air. It was after school, and she had arrived early at the agreed meeting place of her group - Subaru had told her to wait for him while he picked up his laptop from his room. As for Syo-kun, he would arrive any second now.

Under her breath, she hummed the lullaby that Subaru had sung in their performance last summer - the same song that he had always used to lull her to sleep when she was anxious. His singing voice was quiet, but underlined by his passion for music; she'd always admired that part of him. At first, she'd refused to believe that he'd follow his vow to never sing again, but the more the year went by, the harder it became to deny.

 _I miss listening to him sing for me_ , she thought, letting her fingers stray to the cooling strands of grass.

" _Yo_ , Sora-chan!" She opened her eyes.

Syo-kun gave her a cheeky grin and flopped down on the grass beside her - leaning against the same tree and probably looking a million types cooler than her while doing it.

"Syo-kun! Thank you for meeting here!" She bowed her head but he just laughed, "You don't need to keep thanking me - we're in this together, after all."

" _Un_!" She reached across to her bag and began to pull out her notepad and pen. "Subaru will be here in a bit, but we can start working."

She tapped the plastic cover of the book with her fingernails, "Do you have any ideas about what we should write about?"

Syo-kun positioned his hands behind his hat and lost himself in the periwinkle sky. "I want to write something that makes listeners feel strong…" He dragged his eyes away from the sea of blue and met her gaze. "What do you think, Sora-chan?"  
A pale pink blush crept across her features and she suddenly became very preoccupied with tracing the logo on her notebook. "I'd like that. Those were the sort of songs I listened to in hospital - like HAYATO."

The blonde-haired boy nodded to himself, "You mentioned that before - that you were in the hospital. I thought you seemed familiar to me but I couldn't figure it out until after lunch."

Sora forgot about her embarrassment and shuffled herself so that she was sitting across from him, cross-legged. "Wha'dya mean?" She too, hadn't forgotten the sense of familiarity she'd sensed upon meeting him.

He gave her another grin, "We met each other in the same hospital 8 years ago - when I was admitted for testing that went on for about a week; we were neighbours! I don't think I would have been able to remember at all unless you'd mentioned that you liked Prince of Fighting - we talked about it a lot when we were kids."

It all clicked into place, "That was _you?_ " She asked, incredulous. Subaru was always saying she had the worst memory, and it rung true. She had many problems with long-term memory and it was always an inconvenience.

Like now.

"I can't believe I didn't remember," she mumbled, bringing her knees up to her chest and hugging them.

"Don't stress over it - I didn't remember either."

"But," she exclaimed, "But you stayed in the hospital during the same week… the same week that I found out my parents had died… and… even if I didn't remember your name or face… I _always_ knew that the friend I had in hospital helped me get through it."

His face softened. "It's the same for me - that same week I was told that I wouldn't live past twelve. My parents and Kaoru kept worrying over me but having a friend who treated me normally really helped me stay strong."

Sora's eyes widened. Syo-kun realised what he had said and he quickly went back to normal, a childish pout on his face.

"Why are you staring at me?" He asked, a little pink himself.

She snatched up her pen and quickly began to scrawl characters across the page.

Syo-kun leaned forward, the brim of his hat bumping her forehead, "Do you have an idea?"

A few seconds passed and then she clapped her hands triumphantly. "Read this."

 **We beat the odds against us with STRENGTH OF SOULS**

 **And stand here with tenacity in the root of our hearts.**

His eyes darted from side to side as he read her lyric, and his head nodded vigorously with each word. When he was finished, his eyes were shining and he grabbed her pen and added his own phrase.

Sora read it out, not completely familiar with the English phrase, "We… are… absolute."

Their eyes met, both radiating with the excitement from the moment of sync. Sora began digging in her bag for another pen, excitement bringing forth a giggle. "Shall we?"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Subaru** **スバル**

After getting held up in a conversation with his roommate about whether or not he'd borrowed their custom guitar pick, Subaru quickly hurried over to the tree in the school grounds where Sora had proposed they meet with Syo. He knew that they'd probably just talk about their _many_ similar interests while they waited for him. His hands rested on his laptop bag as he quickened his pace. To be perfectly honest, he'd felt a little jealous to see his sister engaged in such an animated conversation with someone who wasn't him - and about a topic that he didn't know much about.

When the meeting tree came into his view, he slowed, trying not to feel jealous. Syo was already there like he had guessed, but instead of being engaged in a boisterous conversation like he'd assumed they would be, Sora and Syo were sitting side by side - knees touching from where they sat on the grass cross-legged. Occasionally one of them would look up from their notebook and say something, while the other smiled, nodding enthusiastically and going back to writing.

Subaru chose to ignore the thoughts that whispered venomous words such as ' _replacement'_ , instead trying to feel grateful that she was taking the assignment so seriously. Clearly, they'd have no problem at all writing lyrics that said the things they both wanted to say.

He began walking again and when Sora noticed someone approach and saw it was him she smiled. " _Nii-chan!_ We're almost finished - I can't wait to show you what Syo-kun and I have written together!"

Subaru tried his best to sound happy for her, but felt as though his tone betrayed him. " _Un_ , that's great."

Syo greeted him with his usual cheeky expression. "We've also got an idea for the kind of sound that would fit the song best."

Subaru's smile tightened. "I'll do my best."

 _What is wrong with me? Why can't I just be happy that she's doing well?_

"Are you okay, Subaru?" Sora asked, searching his eyes. "You look tense." Subaru shook his head and sat down with them, pulling out his laptop and starting up his musical composition program. He had compiled several snippets of melodies over the past few months which he'd been considering experimenting with for the recording test.

" _Nii-chan_ , you'll never guess what!" Sora waited expectantly for him to do exactly that.

He sighed at the familiar game. "What?"

"Remember when I was in hospital?"

"It would be hard to forget." He didn't want to let his curiosity become obvious, but it was hard. She had never referred to her days as a patient with excitement, enthusiasm or any kind of nostalgia but just now she sounded like exactly that.

"Well, I told you that I made a friend when I was there, didn't I?" She sounded unsure of herself, probably not trusting her own memory of ever sharing such an event.

She had though. Her 'hospital friend' had been someone who she hadn't shut up about for weeks, and had cried for when they'd been discharged from her unit. Her first friend, or something along those lines. Although Subaru himself had never actually met this miracle person - he'd always be taking tests in another room whenever Subaru visited her.

Or so he'd thought.

"It turns out that my friend was actually Syo-kun - what're the odds, huh? Isn't that cool?"

He nodded faintly, processing it all. A childhood friend coming back after years; the way they'd been alone together before he had arrived; and the way they both seemed extremely enthusiastic about this discovery now (Syo was trying to play it cool but it was obvious that he was also pleased).

This was exactly like a shoujo manga and he _most definitely_ didn't approve.

He took a moment to channel the energy the pair of them were giving off and tapped a few things into his program. Satisfied with the result, he let the melody that he'd composed play.

Almost immediately he could see the reaction from his twin; her hands had clapped together and her silver eyes fluttered shut. Syo drummed his fingers against his notebook, as though predicting what the next notes would be.

When the melody was finished, Sora gave him a huge grin and launched herself at him, hugging him tightly.

"Watch the computer, dummy!" But he couldn't stop the pleased smile from spreading across his features.

"You are the _greatest, nicest, cleverest brother in the world_!" She exclaimed happily, pulling herself away and looking him straight in the eyes.

"That was _exactly_ the kind of thing we were hoping to have for the chorus - it's perfect!"

He blushed from the praise, "It's not that good."  
"Are you kidding?" Syo enthused. "This is seriously good!"

Sora nodded, clapping her hands together excitedly like a child. "Now let's work even harder!"

 _She's such a dork,_ he thought, watching her eyes shine happily as she chatted to Syo-kun. _But I guess that's what I love about her._

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

Subaru watched from outside the recording booth as Sora took the second step towards her childhood dream. Ringo-sensei stood with him, alongside Hyūga-sensei, bouncing on his toes expertly while wearing high heels and moving to the rhythm of the song that was being played out of the school PA system. The school had been filled with the music of students for the entire morning, until their group had been summoned to the recording booth to finally get the result on their hard work during that week. They had been scheduled to perform after Nanami and Otoya, who were adorned with the biggest of smiles when they'd walked outside the booth - not without wishing the three of them the best of luck. They'd joined Subaru, ready to listen with him.

Sora and Syo had gotten off to a powerful start. When they had first shared their lyrics to Subaru, he almost couldn't believe that his sister had really contributed to them, but now that he was hearing her voice sing her solo before harmonizing with Syo's, it was easy to see just how they'd managed to get along so well.

They were both people who had been dismissed as weak before they'd had the chance to prove they were the opposite. Syo hadn't exactly explained his circumstances but it was obvious - to Subaru at least - just why being perceived as strong was so important to him.

Sora was getting really into things - swaying her head to the music, throwing fist pumps around like she wasn't threatening to disconnect her headphones with her uncontrolled energy, all while her easy smile was confident and contagious.

Before they'd started, the two idols in the group had asked to be facing each other while they sang, so they could really stay in sync throughout the recording process.

Hyūga-sensei had raised an eyebrow, but Ringo-sensei had been all for it, eager to do whatever would make them give a solid performance.

About a minute into their song, more students had begun to stream into the area, eager to see the performers that were being broadcast throughout the school. He could recognise a few faces: Shinomiya, Hijirikawa-san, Jinguji Ren, and another mysterious dark-haired man, who had an uncanny resemblance to the HAYATO posters that Sora liked to plaster around their room back at home.

 **[Syo & Sora]**

 _STRENGTH OF SOULS_

 _watashitachi ni taisuru ozzu o yabutte,_

 _kokoro no ne ni okeru nebaridzuyo-sa de_

 _koko ni tatte iru._

 _WE ARE ABSOLUTE!_

 **We beat the odds against us with STRENGTH OF SOULS**

 **And stand here with tenacity in the root of our hearts.**

 **WE ARE ABSOLUTE!**

 **[Sora]**

 _Watashi no ta no hanbun o sōbi shita_

 _tatakai o tatakai COMPLETE_

 **Fighting a battle equipped with the other half of me COMPLETE**

 _Shussan-ji ni watashi wa shiroi doresu,_

 _kanja ID to itami no ōjodeshita._

 **At birth I was the princess in distress with white dresses and patient ID.**

 _Ima ketsui wa, watashi jishin no monogatari no kishidearu_

 _hoshi kara tsukura rete iru._

 **But now my determination is made from stars that are knights of my own story.**

 **[Syo]**

 _Sora to yama o seifuku suru tsuyo-sa o kōtō. Senshi wa, kare ga aisuru mono o mamoru._

 _ABSOLUTION_

 **Soaring strength to conquer the sky and mountains; a warrior protects the one he loves ABSOLUTION!**

 _Tetsu no ken de boku wa jibun no unmei ni hogo-sha ni naru.._

 **With iron fists I will be the guardian to my own fate.**

 _Kokoro to kokoro no naka de no shōri wa, subete no idaina shōridayo._

 **Victory in the heart and mind is the greatest victory of all.**

 **[Syo & Sora]**

 _STRENGTH OF SOULS_

 _watashitachi ni taisuru ozzu o yabutte,_

 _watashitachi no kokoro no ne ni okeru nebaridzuyo-sa de_

 _koko ni tatte iru._

 _WE ARE ABSOLUTE!_

 **We beat the odds against us with STRENGTH OF SOULS**

 **And stand here with tenacity in the root of our hearts.**

 **WE ARE ABSOLUTE!**

 **[Sora]**

 _Ima, watashi jishin no monogatari no kishidayo_

 **But now, I am a knight in my own story**

 **[Syo]**

 _Ore wa jibun no unmei ni hogo-sha ni naru._

 **I will be a guardian of my destiny.**

 **[Both]**

 _ **WE ARE ABSOLUTE!**_

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Sora** **天**

She wiped her forehead as she belted out the last line of what she hoped would be the first of many recorded songs.

"I didn't realize recording could be so exhausting!" She admitted after the soundman had signalled that it was okay to talk.

Syo-kun removed his hat and ran his hands through his hair, making it stick up in all directions. A giggle left her lips and when he caught sight of his reflection in the booth window he quickly returned his hat where it belonged. He didn't stay embarrassed for too long - he was grinning like an idiot too.

"It was exhausting, but a good kind of exhausting," he agreed. "And the energy was unreal! I didn't know that we'd feel so _in sync_ \- like when I improvised that one line and you'd already adapted just like that!"

"It was really cool!" The effect of their performance had left her hands shaking and her palms sweaty. "Working with you was the most fun I've had in ages!"

As if on cue, they both blushed at her sudden confession.

 _It's true though,_ she told herself. _Somehow, he's just on my wavelength 24/7. It's like having another twin!_

And with that thought in mind, she refused to feel embarrassed any longer, and as they walked through the doorway together, ready to join the others, she quickly gave him a shy hug.

Subaru was stuttering in disbelief. "Seriously, Sora? You're hugging strangers _again_?"

"We're not strangers!" She shot back, trying not to notice how Syo-kun was still in the processing stages, "At this point, we're friends - and kind of childhood friends as well."

He snorted, but said nothing else. Usually he would have turned this into a verbal spar, where she would always use phrases that made absolutely no sense and he'd get annoyed until bursting into laughter once she'd said something truly bizarre.

 _I wonder if he really isn't coming down with something._

She gave him the most grateful smile she could muster, "Thanks for writing such a wonderful song, _Nii-chan!"_

"Yeah."

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ


	6. Cake Makes Everything Better

**Sora** **天**

" _Nii-chan! Nii-chan! Look, look, look!"_ Sora skipped back to across the room, twin in tow and managed to shove both of them to the front of the mass of students, pointing a roughly at a piece of paper at the front of the hall.

 **Shimono Sora:** **下野 天** **Shimono Subaru:** **下野 スバル** **Kurusu Syo** **来栖 翔**

 **Score: 97**

Sora hugged her brother's arm as he read the news that seemed too good to be true.

"We passed?"

She whacked his arm, "Don't sound so surprised - and we didn't just _pass_ \- we got one of the top five scores!" She caught sight of a certain person trying to see over the heads of many other, taller students. "Syo-kun! Come and look at this!"

She grabbed his hand, pulling him to the front of the crowd, and repeated the same process she had with Subaru. When Syo-kun saw their score he thrust his fist into the hair and whooped.

"We nailed it!" He offered her a high five, and then searched for Subaru, offering him the same, who was reluctant but followed through.

" _Arigatou na_ ," he said cheerfully. "We couldn't have done it without you, Subaru."

"Likewise."

The bell rang, signalling for them to return to class, "See ya later!" She called over her shoulder. On her way out she noticed Otoya, and Tomo-chan telling a very sparkly eyed Nanami that they had been asked to get some textbooks from another class and to go ahead without them.

Sora waved to the shy composer, "Nanami! Did you see your scores?"

Nanami smiled and they headed down the corridor towards A Class, " _Un_! Ittoki-kun wrote such wonderful lyrics! I'm sure that's why we got an 87!"

Sora laughed. "Your song was wonderful too, Nanami! I'd love to sing a song you've written one day!"

The other girl chuckled nervously, "I'd be honoured! The song that you sung with Kurusu-kun was incredible! Your voices really brought out the best in each other. I felt so energized and inspired from the sound you created."

"It was thanks to Subaru's music!" Sora said proudly. "We really couldn't have done it without him."

She was about to joke about something else, but when they entered the classroom she could immediately tell something was wrong. All eyes were on them and the room fell quiet, as though waiting for a reaction.

 _A reaction for what?_

Then she saw the blackboard and the cruel words that were scrawled across it in large chalk characters.

 _NANAMI HARUKA:_

 _SUSPICION OF USING CONNECTIONS_

 _TOTAL BACKDOOR ENTRANCE_

 _SHE CAN'T EVEN READ MUSIC!_

 _SHIMONO SORA:_

 _HOW CLOSE IS TOO CLOSE TO YOUR TWIN?_

 _BOUGHT HER SCORE_

 _A FAKE_

Sora lost track of how long she stared at the words directed at her. A fake? Buying her test score? Accusing her of _that_ with Subaru? Was this really what her classmates thought of her?

Beside her, Nanami also seemed to be going through a similar thought process, golden eyes flashing with hurt. Sora desperately wanted to start wiping away the slander, but her knees wobbled and her hands had tightened into fists, fingernails digging into her flesh.

"Wh-What is this?" Otoya's voice interrupted her thoughts. She didn't turn around. Those words had somehow managed to sap her of all sass and retorts that she would have otherwise found a way to share. The sound of books hitting the wooden floor made her flinch, and the two girls watched as Otoya and Tomo-chan quickly began to erase the messages from the slate. Footsteps approached them from behind and someone gasped. It sounded like Shinomiya.

" _Ohayou~~_ Take your seats!" Ringo-sensei called, heels clacking against the wood of the classroom floor just as the last of the chalk was removed. Nanami and Sora still didn't move.

Otoya and Tomo-chan put a reassuring hand on each side of Nanami's shoulders.

" _Don't worry about it Nanami,"_ Otoya-san whispered hurriedly, while Tomo-chan led her away gently.

Sora's legs were still shaky and weak, and when she felt two hands rest on her shoulders from behind, they almost gave out completely.

"Let's go and sit down, Sora-chan," Shinomiya told her kindly. Despite her best efforts, walking to her desk was slow, and her friend had to support her for most of it, before sitting behind her at his own place. Sora crossed her arms on her desk and hid her face.

"I know it's soon, but we're going to get started on your next song today." Ringo-sensei said cheerfully, oblivious to the tension in the room. " _I'll give a second chance to someone who didn't do very well before."_ He eyed Nanami with a playful smile, "Haru-chan." When she didn't hear him, he called out to her again and she got to her feet, startled.

Ringo-sensei offered her a stack of sheet music, "If you please!"

She nodded, hesitant. " _Hai_."

Sora watched with protective eyes as she took her place behind the piano once again.

 _She'll be okay this time, won't she? She mentioned she'd learned how to read music._

"Sora-chan?" Her teacher's voice made her look up.

"Perhaps you'd bless us with singing while Haru-chan plays? You know the lyrics, _ne?_ It was part of your homework to learn them."

She blinked, "Sing?"

He sighed. " _Hai, hai._ You two need to stop zoning out in class."

Sora got to her feet and began the million mile walk to the piano, feeling a little better when Shinomiya gave her smile - reminding her of the Piyo-chan good luck charm that was still in her pocket. She fished it out and held it tightly in her fist.

" _Hora_ \- take a step forward so we can hear you properly!" Ringo-sensei said.

Swallowing, she did as she was told, ignoring the whispers that rippled through the room again. Smart comment upon smart comment. She was really starting to hate the jealousy of her classmates.

She knew from reading the sheet music herself that the singer had to start off by singing the first two bars unaccompanied - after that, Nanami would join her on the third. Clutching Piyo-chan in one hand, she wiped the other against her yellow plaid skirt.

 _Is this what stage fright feels like?_

" _What are they doing?"_

" _Why is she just standing there?"_

It was getting harder and harder to block out the whispering.

" _Can she even sing?"_

" _She probably used auto-tune in the recording test."_

Sora shrunk back. "I can't do this," she whispered to herself.

In all her previous performances she'd sung because she loved to sing - because the people who listened loved music as much as she did and wanted to share that love with her.

But this audience was out for blood. They listened only so they could rip her soul to pieces afterwards.

The whispers stopped.

When she opened her eyes, she was outside on the steps to the building, her chest pulsing painfully.

Had she run away?

 _I left Nanami in there by herself,_ she realised with a heavy heart. _Should I go back?_

Students had already begun streaming outside, and she hurriedly removed herself from their path. Before she knew it, Sora had made it to the meeting tree where she had felt so carefree just a few days ago with Syo-kun and her brother. She stretched out on the grass, listening to her quickened heartbeat and trying to ignore the discomfort.

"What was all that about?" She muttered to herself, fiddling with her keychain. "Why didn't I just ignore it and continue like always?"

She couldn't recall when she drifted off, but her senses shifted to a presence above and her eyes snapped open, catching Shinomiya smiling at her against the dusk. The sun was hiding behind the horizon, colouring the skies pink. Quickly, she found herself back on her feet, dazed and drowsy.

"Shinomiya?"

His smile widened. "Sora-chan! You shouldn't be out here so late at night - you'll catch a cold."

It was the middle of spring so that didn't seem likely at all but Sora nodded anyway. The situation that had occured in the classroom had all come flooding back to her with an extra wave of cringe and she found herself avoiding her friend's gaze.

Shinomiya ducked down so that he was level with her and laughed, patting her head. " _Ne,_ smile Sora-chan!"

She did her best, but no matter how much she wanted her friend to stop worrying over her like he obviously was despite his smile, it just seemed so impossible.

He perked up. "Oh I know! You can come and bake with us!"

Had she heard that right?

"Bake?"

He straightened up and bounced on his feet like a puppy. "Oto-chan, Syo-chan and I are going to bake cupcakes! Sora-chan should come help us!" Before she could politely decline and go back to being a loner, he'd already grabbed her hand and taken off.

"Sh-Shinomiya!" She protested, but he laughed. "You can call me Natsuki! We're friends aren't we?"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

Being friends with Natsuki almost certainly was going to get her thrown out of school. Sora hadn't realised where the baking session was going to be held until she'd recognised that she was heading towards the boys dorm. Visiting her twin brother discreetly was one thing, but she was now going to be visiting the boys dorm kitchen, where anyone could walk in and find her.

Natsuki seemed to sense her hesitation as he pointed out the door to the kitchen. " _Daijoubu!_ It's just Oto-chan and Syo-chan!"

She relaxed a little. This was like a friend hangout date, right? Was that what people called them?

 _What if I do something weird? What if they all start feeling sorry for me? What if I don't know how to join in with their conversation or what if-_

"Let's go, Sora-chan!" And just like that, Natsuki had opened the door and pushed her in.

"I'm back~~!" Natsuki sang. "Look who I've brought, _futari-tomo_!"

Inside the room - both wearing aprons - was one very happy Otoya and a disgruntled Syo-kun.

When they saw Sora, their reactions varied.

" _WHY'D YOU BRING A GIRL IN HERE?"_

" _SORA-CHAN~!"_

She tried not to look dejected from Syo-kun's comment, and summoned a weak smile. Natsuki just ushered her further in to stand with the others while he disappeared behind the counter to start pulling out ingredients, not noticing how his three friends stood next to each other in complete silence, not knowing what to say. He cheerfully began to hum the theme for Piyo-chan.

Otoya was the first to address what had happened earlier that day. "Are you okay, Sora-chan?"

She didn't look at him when she nodded. "It's no big deal. I was kind of asking for that to happen so I shouldn't have overreacted and left Nanami by herself." Then she remembered, "Is she okay?"

Otoya sighed. "She's feeling really down, and she left not long after you. That's why," he said trying to cheer up, "I'm going to give her a cupcake to make her feel better!"

"Make her feel better about what?" Syo-kun asked, switching his gaze between the two of them, "What happened?"

"I'm ready to start~~!" Natsuki sang, and Syo-kun's face quickly darkened. He leaned towards Sora who was watching Natsuki don a frilly, pink apron.

"You're about to witness hell." Syo-kun told her with an unreadable expression. Sora raised an eyebrow. "His baking can't be _that_ bad."

"First, the eggs~~" Natsuki sang.

Otoya and Sora both gave Syo-kun a questioning look.

The blonde boy didn't miss a beat. "Only the eggs are good."

"Then flour, butter, sugar and chocolate~~"

Sora finally clicked. "Shouldn't you unwrap the chocolate fir-?"

Syo-kun was already going crazy. "Cut it out already!"

Natsuki was too far gone. Nothing could stop him now.

"The secret ingredients: Tabasco~ chili oil~ fermented beans~ salted fish guts~" He hit the blend button and the blender whirred into life, combining God's Mistake into one all you could drink smoothie.

Just the sight of the brown lumpy mixture made Sora want to throw up. She quickly turned away, hand covering her mouth. Syo-kun noticed and yelled louder at the out of control Piyo-chan fanatic, who was busy pouring the mixture into the cupcake tin.

"I TOLD YOU TO STOP!"

"Usually, I bake it to a beautiful brown in the oven, but let's do it all at once on high heat!"

Sora spun back around. "Let's not! Let's not!"

Fire. Fire and then smoke.

Otoya, Syo-kun and Sora had huddled together, clinging on to one another for dear life.

"It's done!" Natsuki picked up a burnt cupcake that was on the verge of disintegrating and looked up hopefully at his friends - in particular, Syo-kun.

"Syo-chan - you can eat first!" He leaned forward with a bite of cupcake resting on a spoon. The three of them bulked and tried to retreat, but were met with the window - which unfortunately, was closed.

"Why me? Stay back!" Syo-kun protested. "Get back! Shoo! Shoo!" And then in a way that only a Natsuki master could accomplish, Syo-kun ducked out of the way and pushed Otoya forward just in time for the red-haired victim to become a taste-tester. Sora didn't have a chance to pray for him before Syo-kun had grabbed her hand and pulled her away, out of the kitchen, out of the dorms and into the gardens.

They both doubled over when they made it outside. When he'd caught his breath Syo-kun looked to the stars. " _Gomen_ Otoya. I'll never forget you."

Sora took a deep gulp of air, "Is it always like that?"

He regarded her solemnly. "Yes."

There was a park bench nearby that she practically threw herself on.

"Sorry!" He said quickly. "I forgot that you can't run too much."

She waved away his concern, " _Iie_ , it's fine."

He sat next to her and for a moment they just watched the night sky in awe.

"They're so pretty," she breathed.

He nodded. "Yeah."

She sneaked a glance at him and was surprised at how conflicted he seemed.

"Is something wrong?" She asked. Syo-kun blushed and shook his head furiously.

"It's nothing! Nothing at all!" He sighed and fiddled with his sleeve. "Actually, I wanted to ask…"

She stiffened.

"After class today… A bunch of A Class students came to find Subaru… they were sniggering about something and started congratulating him." He went quiet. "At the time we thought that they were talking about the recording test scores, but what Natsuki said before made me think - are you getting a hard time in class?"

 _I can't tell him. He's the kind of person who would play the hero to try and make me feel better._

She hesitated, not wanting to lie to her friend.

He poked her cheek, peering into her eyes. " _Ne,_ we're friends right?"

She nodded.

"Then tell me."

There was something about the setting that made her settle on obliging him. It was oddly peaceful sitting underneath the night sky with a long-lost friend. She got the impression that he might understand her dilemma better than her brother.

So she told him about the comments, the chalkboard slander and the way she'd run out of class like a coward because she couldn't sing. When she was finished, she felt strangely calm. Syo-kun on the other hand was _seething_.

"Those bastards!" He growled, cracking his knuckles, "They'd do all that just because your singing is awesome?"

She didn't know how to answer.

"Don't worry Sora-chan," he reassured her, "I'll help you."

"N-NO!" She squeaked. "That really isn't necessary! I can deal with it."

He frowned. "They're making you miserable and it's affecting your music."  
"It isn't, really! It was just a one time thing."

"Then sing for me," he demanded. "Sing and prove that it was just a one time thing."

She searched his eyes. He was deadly serious. So she opened her mouth to sing their song…

Nothing.

An almost inaudible squeak left her throat. Tears swelled up and threatened to spill over her cheeks.

"This is so _stupid_ ," she exclaimed angrily. "I should be _stronger_ than this. But why do I care so much about what others think of me? _Why_?"

A warm hand squeezed hers tightly and just that subtle feeling of support was enough to make big, fat tears run down her face. Minutes went by but she couldn't calm herself, all while Syo-kun held her hand and offered her a shoulder to cry on.

"Learn to lean on others," he whispered soothingly. "You have friends that want to support you."

She sniffled and sat up, wiping her eyes, " _Un_."

"Like me for example!" He teased. "And we're gonna show those jerks just what Shimono Sora is made of!"

"How?"  
He reached over and ruffled her hair into a silvery-white mess, "By singing with me after school every day until you're confident in yourself again!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ


	7. Sora-chan: DOKI DOKI

**Subaru** **スバル**

For the next week, Sora devoted herself to studying, to a point where Subaru wondered if she was actually the same person. Everyday she had a different feeling about her; instead of carefree and playful, her behaviour was far more controlled and focused. At lunchtime she quickly bought herself some bread, before heading back into the practice rooms for a little extra work. He always tried to join her - mostly to make sure she was taking care of herself, which she almost certainly wasn't doing - but she had firmly stated that she wanted her practices to be undisturbed.

"I have to do my best now that I'm here, Subaru," she'd told him through the door. That hadn't stopped him from listening in on her sessions however, and it soon became clear that someone was in those rooms with her. That was also when he began to notice the frequent absences of Syo at lunch.

It wasn't that he was worried about the two of them spending time together, although the idea that his twin specifically wanted to practise with someone that wasn't him did make him a little hurt. Rather it was his sister's health, that he was positive she wasn't moderating as she worked herself into the ground.

For all her talk of being strong and staying absolute, she couldn't very well do that when her body could no longer garner the strength to keep her upright. What could have caused her to suddenly act this way?

He was at his usual lunch table with Shinomiya, Otoya and Hijirikawa-san, with whom he'd begun to practice with after classes in preparation for the Idol Course's Dance Exam. While Subaru still wasn't in the Idol Course himself after refusing Shining Saotome, he'd come across their practice and noticed Otoya was having difficulty with a few basic steps - steps that Subaru had offered to help him with. For the past week he had learned that he had an aptitude for dancing and finding the rhythm, and that he thoroughly enjoyed the adrenaline coursing through his veins after finishing.

The conversation was mostly held by Otoya and Shinomiya, who were by far the most social and enthusiastic of their group. Meanwhile, Hijirikawa-san and himself were engaged in a quiet talk of their own about composing, as the dark-haired boy also had experience with writing songs and was a skilled pianist.

While Subaru appreciated having someone to bounce ideas off, he couldn't help but miss Sora's loud interjections and childish excitement when he mentioned something new. Everything felt off-balance without her around.

"I haven't seen Sora-chan in a while." Otoya said off-handedly, turning his gaze towards Subaru.

Shinomiya jumped in too. "She and Syo-chan are always practising together now." His voice was missing its usual vigour.

"I suppose the exam _is_ coming up." Subaru said, resting his chopsticks on top of an empty bowl.

The other three exchanged looks.

"What?" He searched their faces, each marked with worry in his own way, "Did something happen?"

Hijirikawa-san was the first to speak after the long silence. "I've been helping Nanami-san practise more too."

Subaru blinked, "Why? Is something happening in A Class?"

Otoya lowered his head. "Some stuff _happened_ … in class… and Nanami-chan… and Sora-chan…"

"Just tell me!" Subaru demanded.

"Our classmates have been spreading rumours about the two of them," Hijirikawa-san told him. "At first it was just Nanami-san that they picked on, but then Shimono-san stepped in and they started on her as well."

Like that day that she'd come to the table with a sore hand and admitted that it was her own fault. The same day that she'd promised to tell her friends if it happened again - no, she'd _eluded_ that by talking about Prince of Fighting.

Subaru ran his hands through his silver-blonde hair tiredly. " _Nee-san_ , what are you doing?"

He switched his attention back to his friends. "If it's just rumours then why is she working so hard?"

"Sora-chan got stage fright in class the other day," Shinomiya said sadly. "She was asked to sing while Haru-chan played, but she froze up and then ran out."

"I found her though!" He added, quickly. "And then we did some baking!"

Subaru could have sworn he saw Otoya shudder.

"Shimono-san and Nanami-san have been asked to perform in class this Friday," Hijirikawa-san said. "So they've been practising for the last week to regain their confidence."

"I hope they do okay," Otoya said.

Subaru said nothing else.

 _Sora was being bullied and I never even noticed,_ he sucked in a breath. He was suspicious that Nanami-san was getting a hard time due to the sniggers that she had received after the quiet girl had approached him the library last week to ask about reading sheet music, but he'd never thought that someone would actually bully his enthusiastic, puppy-like sister. Sora was nice to everyone.

Now she was skipping meals just to fit in extra practices because her peers were mostly likely jealous of her recent recording test score.

Part of him wanted to report this, but Otoya had already confessed that he'd tried to tell Ringo-sensei without much luck. It seemed all he could do was wait, and hope that Sora could get past whatever barrier was in her way. It was Thursday today, which meant that she'd be performing with Nanami-san tomorrow. That was something he could support her with at least. He was going to protect his sister's dream at all costs. If Friday didn't go well however, then _nobody_ could stop him from interfering.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Sora** **天**

" **We are ABSOLUTE!"** Sora finished. She reached for her bottle of water, gulping the cold liquid down greedily, before looking to Syo-kun with eager eyes. "I did it!"

This had been her only attempt of many during their practice regime where she had managed to sing an entire song while giving off her idol aura - bubbly, mischievous, and eager to please. It seemed like so long ago that she had run from the classroom because of stage fright. The extra sessions had been hard going and it hadn't been easy to get past the mental barriers that she'd put up. Bit by bit, Syo-kun had helped her break them down and build up her confidence again.

She felt better than ever, and it was all thanks to him.

He was grinning, "That was really awesome, Sora-chan! You even managed to use our dance routine for the exam."

"Do you think I'll be able to do it tomorrow?" Her voice wavered from exhaustion, both mental and physical. The practices had strengthened her legs considerably, but right now they were about to buckle.

He walked towards her and placed his arms on her shoulders with complete confidence. "You'll do it easy." Syo-kun said, taking a moment to smile reassuringly at her while removing his hat and placing it on her messy, silver head. Her hair was loose and stuck to her neck with sweat, making her wish desperately that she'd put it up before she'd started. The gesture made her blush all the same.

Syo-kun noticed and immediately stammered out, "I-I just m-meant for you to w-wear it has a good l-luck charm tomorrow."  
"Really?!" Her embarrassment faded, replaced by her gratitude. "Are... you sure? Isn't this hat like your secret weapon?" Then she wondered about the dance test that she had coming up, "You've been helping me for a week - but don't you have other class work too?"

He laughed and gently flicked her forehead. "It's okay," Syo-kun jumped back and landed in the Prince of Fighting's signature pose. "My hat isn't my only source of strength! I've been working on a lyric writing assignment for class , but the real battle to finish it will begin now that the hero has lost his hat!

Sora snorted but mirrored him and soon they began their mock fight, either side resisting the urge to burst into uncontrollable laughter from their antics.

The bell signaled the end of lunch, and they bowed to each other playfully. She was so grateful for the time and effort he'd put into helping her get past her silly insecurities. He'd been very thorough, giving her new breathing techniques to help quench bad anxiety, helping her warm up her vocal cords more effectively, and giving advice about how to cope with her weaker body when it came to dancing. She'd learned something new everyday, and she knew that she was a much better idol because of it.

As was Sora tradition, she sprung a surprise hug on him, laughing good-naturedly as he stammered out his protests.

"O-Oi, what's that for?" The blonde boy blushed scarlet after she'd pulled away and flashed him another cheerful smile.

"For being the bestest friend I've ever had!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Subaru** **スバル**

On Friday morning Subaru sat at his desk in S Class, tapping the wood with anxious fingers. Hijirikawa-san had said that Sora would be singing in class today. Beside him, a hatless Syo was humming, hands behind his head, eyes closed and leaning back against his chair in usual careless but cool fashion. When Subaru had asked him how things had gone with Sora, the other boy had given him nothing but confident reassurances.

The classroom door was open, and he heard Ringo-sensei greet his class next door, before asking his sister and Nanami-san (or 'Haru-chan') to continue where they'd left off the week previously.

He hadn't realized he'd stood up and brushed past Hyūga-sensei on the way out until he realized that he was peeking his head through the doorway of A Class.

A satisfied grunt beside him confirmed that Syo had followed him, and when he found his sister standing next to the grand piano with a certain person's hat on her head, he understood Syo's reaction.

"It's for luck," the other boy shrugged, when Subaru raised an eyebrow.

Together they watched as Sora nervously surveyed her classmates who were staring expectantly at her. Already, a few of them had begun to whisper and snigger amongst themselves, and in the corner of his eye, Subaru could see Syo's jaw tighten.

When her gaze found their heads peeking through the doorway, the tension in her shoulders melted away and she offered them both a grateful smile. She counted herself in by tapping her shoe, and began to sing the first few unaccompanied bars.

Once Nanami-san began to play, appearing nervous yet more confident in herself, the two S Class visitors let out a sigh of relief.

"Her voice is stronger," Subaru noted. "And she looks more comfortable."  
Syo hummed his approval, "She's really good now, right?"

"Yeah," he whispered back, fondly taking in the scene of his big sister. She and Nanami-san were nailing the performance. Sora had begun to dance, naturally moving with the music. She looked so at ease that he wondered if she even realised she was doing it. The classmates that had sniggered at her before, now had their mouths open in shock as she continued to sing.

When they'd finally finished, Sora squealed triumphantly and hugged her co-performer wearing a relieved smile, all while the entire class burst into applause.

Subaru recognised the cheers of Natsuki and Otoya straight away, and even Hijirikawa-san was smiling. He joined in with the applause with Syo, clapping for the pair of them. By what Hijirikawa-san had said, Nanami-san was also getting a hard time.

"That was wonderful, Sora-chan! Haru-chan!" Ringo-sensei enthused. "You've both improved!"

Behind the piano, Nanami-san was glowing.

" _Arigatou gozaimasu,_ Sora-chan!" She babbled. Sora laughed and gave her accompanist another hug, "We both did awesome!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

Sora waved her brother over to where she was sitting with their friends. Nanami-san was also with them, accompanied with Tomochika-san.

" _Nii-chan!_ " She seemingly couldn't wait any longer and got up to meet him, pulling him over to sit next to her. Across from her, next to Nanami-san, was Syo. Subaru couldn't help but notice the grateful glances that his sister kept shooting at the other boy.

"Where's Shinomiya?" Subaru asked.

"He went with Otoya to get everyone something to drink," Syo said. "They wanted to help celebrate."

"Oh right," Sora said, taking the hat that she was wearing off her hair, "Here, Syo-kun. Thanks for letting me wear it!"  
He laughed, "It was nothing."

Hijirikawa-san had also joined them, sitting on Subaru's other side. As a quiet type, he and Subaru were well and truly outnumbered this time. Which reminded him…

Subaru looked at Sora, " _Nee-chan_ , this is Hijirikawa-san."  
Her face brightened when she saw the quiet young man, "Hijirikawa-san! I remember you from my first day - thank you for helping me that one time!"

Subaru didn't do a very good job at hiding his confusement. She laughed, "I would have fallen on my face if he hadn't caught me when he did."  
The other boy shook his head, " _Iie,_ it was nothing."  
"Still, we haven't spoken since then, so _arigatou_! Nanami-chan told me how you helped her prepare for the performance. I'd like to sing with you one day too!" Subaru's eyes widened when he heard that.

"What's that face for _Nii-chan_?" She asked teasingly."I just really like singing, that's all. I want to sing with everyone - you, Syo-kun, Hijirikawa-san, Natsuki, Otoya. Then maybe one day I'll even be able to sing with HAYA- _oh sorry!_ "

"Sora!" Subaru shook his head in disbelief as her wild gestures caused her to strike someone who was walking behind her. He cringed and turned to see who she'd had the misfortune to accidentally assault.

Her eyes widened when she saw who it was.

Subaru recognised him as the man who looked eerily like HAYATO, the same young man who'd gone to the recording booth to see Sora and Syo perform together last week. He'd learned during his week in S Class that this man was called Ichinose Tokiya. Ichinose-san set his expressionless gaze on Sora and she was rendered speechless. Subaru didn't blame her. Up close, it was easy to see that she was starstruck.

"Be more careful," was all Ichinose-san said, moving on without another glance.

" _Hai_ ," she breathed.

Moments later, her eyes were still in wonderland. Otoya and Shinomiya came back with an armful of drinks and began handing them all out. When Shinomiya offered one to Sora, she didn't seem to see him at all.

Subaru nudged her with his elbow, "Oi, _Nee-san_."

She blinked and then realised her mistake, " _Gomen._ "

Shinomiya laughed. "You must be tired after that performance, Sora-chan! It was wonderful!"

"Especially the dancing!" Otoya added, with a cheeky grin.

"What?" Her cheeks flamed, "Oh I didn't…"

Subaru laughed and ruffled her hair, "I knew you hadn't realised. You were really into it as well."

She blushed harder and said nothing.

"It looked wonderful, Sora-chan!" Nanami-san enthused. "You were amazing - like a real idol!"

"Thank you Nanami - Haru-chan? Can I call you that?" The shy composer nodded, "Of course!"

"That reminds me," Otoya said. "I wanted to ask how your dance routine was going, Sora-chan. You've been practicing all week so I never got to ask and the test is next Monday."

"Dance… routine?"

"For the exam on Monday." Otoya confirmed.

She clearly wasn't on the same page, "Dance routine? Exam? For what?"

Subaru and Hijirikawa-san both sighed.

"For the Idol Course Dance Exam of course, silly!" Her brother told her, reverting back to mother hen mode. "You've been given advice and coaching for it in class for the past week! You must've known."

" _Gomen ne_!" She smiled apologetically. "In class I was pretty tired because I spent most nights practising."

"You were up singing that late?" He shook his head with disapproval, "Sora!"

"It wasn't just singing!" She argued. "I was dancing too! I have to get my body in shape if I want to be an idol and because I don't have a roommate, I have a lot of room to practise. I was super nervous about today! I wanted to do my best..." She lowered her head, pouting a little.

" _Ja_ , maybe you can join in with our practices then?" Otoya offered. "Subaru could teach you the steps and you could be in our group!"

"No." Hijirikawa-san interjected. "There's not enough time for her to be sufficiently prepared."  
Otoya pulled a face, "Please?"

"But she can just practice with us, right?" Shinomiya said cheerfully. "Then she'd at least be able to prepare by herself."

Hijirikawa-san went quiet, "Very well."  
"Thank you Hijirikawa-san~!" Sora sang happily. "I really have the greatest friends!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

After school, Subaru and Sora went for a walk by the lake. She skipped beside him, humming 'We Are Absolute' caught up in her own little world. It seemed nostalgic to the walk they'd taken to Saotome Academy, before she'd gone and gotten herself lost.

"You seem happy," he commented as she twirled about again with a giggle escaping her lips.

Sora beamed at him. "I really am! I feel like I can do anything when I perform! I've never felt stronger!"

They reached the lake and they walked onto the dock, watching the perfectly still water.

"I can't wait to debut," she whispered to him, sliding her hand to his blazer sleeve like she would do when she was a child. "I want to be able to sing all the time - everyday!"

She met his eyes. "I didn't think it was possible to love doing something so much that I feel as though I'm going to burst, although…" she added, "It would be even better if I could sing with you again."

He sighed, "I know."  
She turned to face him, "Then maybe we can work at it? We could practise everyday until you're comfortable again and then-"

"I don't think that'll work." He told her flatly.

"But it did for me!"

"I'm not like you, Sora. I need more time."

Subaru felt the guilt wash over him as she processed his words and the hurt was clear on her face. He could have phrased that first sentence better. He knew that her twin was the most important thing to her, more than dreams or anything else. She'd made sure he knew just how much he meant to her again and again.

"I'm sorry, Sora," he said quietly. "I just don't think I can do it yet."

She gripped his hand in hers and squeezed it reassuringly. The moment of hurt had been wiped off her face as though it had never happened. Instead her eyes were serious.

"I'm not giving up on you, Subaru," she told him solemnly. "So neither should you."

His heart sped up. How did she know?

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ


	8. Slumber

**Sora** **天**

" _Nii-chan! Nii-chan!_ Look at this!" In her excitement, Sora almost threw the magazine at her brother. The moment she'd seen the page asking for someone to co-star in Hyūga-sensei's new movie _Prince of Precipices_ , she'd immediately shot out of her class with Otoya's magazine in hand. S Class was still fairly empty with only a few other people inside with Subaru, none of whom she knew.

Subaru grabbed her hand to keep the magazine still. "When are you going to learn?" He grumbled while his eyes scanned the page. She waited for his reaction eagerly. "I could be in a movie with the Prince of Fighting!" She exclaimed happily. "Isn't this cool, Subaru?!"

He withdrew his hand with a small smile. "You'll be great, I'm sure."

She studied his face, a little disappointed with his lackluster response. " _Daijoubu_? You look a little… sad."

"What're you talking about _Nee-san_? I'm just a little tired, that's all." He rubbed his eyes as if to make a point, but Sora couldn't see any obvious circles under his eyes from fatigue. Ever since their conversation at the dock, he'd been acting a little off for the past two days. She'd never been one to seek conflict and she had a feeling that if she pushed him any further on getting him to sing with her, he might outright refuse to even try. She definitely didn't want that. It didn't stop her from worrying though.

"Jeez, you need to look after yourself," she said, messing up his silver-blonde hair, "That's a direct order from your older sister!" The words felt a little hypocritical coming from her of all people, but she really did want Subaru to be happy.

 _I spend a lot of time teasing him and acting like the younger one, but I should be more responsible. All this time Subaru's always been there for me to lean on and I've never thought that maybe he has stuff that he needs support for too._

He pouted. "I guess since you've suddenly become the responsible one that you've also remembered that today is your dance exam?"

She froze. Naturally she'd completely forgotten - but hadn't she been practising with Hijirikawa-san, Natsuki and Otoya all weekend? How had she forgotten?

Vague images of her collapsing into bed the night before swam into her mind. She'd been so tired after their final practice…

Subaru stifled a laugh at her look of horror. "That's what I thought. Luckily for you it's after lunch so you can fit in another practice, at least."

She nodded, her head hanging low. " _Un_ , right. I'll do that then…" she ruffled his hair one last time. "Then I'll see you later."

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

"Next up is you Sora-chan!" Ringo-sensei said cheerfully, still clapping from the previous performance. Sora gulped, but made her way up to the stage in the school auditorium. The entirety of A Class were watching her every move and she tried remembering just what it was that she had been practising at lunch. Because Hyūga-sensei had decided to watch the exam as well, some of his own pupils from S Class had elected to join him, but she was too nervous to check to see if her brother or Syo-kun were among them - and the spotlight made searching for them difficult anyway.

With a deep breath, she took her position at center stage, and gave the signal to start her chosen music: her favourite HAYATO song, _Nanairo no Compass._ Coincidentally this was the song she had been dancing to when she'd lost Subaru on the day of entrance exams, and was her go-to song for practically everything. She felt it was only fitting that she go through her first dance exam with it.

As HAYATO began singing, she felt her body move automatically with relaxed familiarity. With this song she could do anything. Out of habit, she began to mouth the words; a little self-conscious as to how silly she might appear.

 _Ah, kimi dake ni todoke kono kaze no oto o yo… Feeling Heart!_

The adrenaline building up was beginning to make her hand movements slightly more sloppy than usual and she did her best to check her form as she danced, trying to retain the fluid transition to each dance move, as she had practised over and over for the past few days. Her head was pounding with the excitement of her moment, making black spots appear in her vision. She blinked furiously, refusing to let such a trivial thing stop her. As if in direct protest to her thought process, her heart pulsed painfully and she almost missed her timing.

 _Everyone's watching me,_ she realised, halfway through the song. _All my friends from A Class. And maybe Subaru. And Syo-kun._

Reeling her thoughts in, she prepared to unleash her energy into her final dance phrase, ignoring her aching heart. She counted in her head.

 _Spin, jump, left 1..2..3..4, right 1..2..3..4 and spin agai-_

But no sooner had she begun her final twirl, suddenly everything had begun to spin with her. Dizziness clashed with the determination to continue dancing and she tripped, sending herself flying backwards. The force knocked the wind out of her and she desperately clung to the last verse of HAYATO's song before the darkness dragged her under.

 _Nanairo wo furaserareru… sekai ni_

 **Let it descend in seven colors… on the world.**

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Subaru** **スバル**

"SORA!" His twin had toppled to the floor, unmoving and his head became plagued with panic. He didn't hear the commotion from the other students, or the looks of horror from Sora's other friends. Before he knew it, Subaru had already made it up to the stage and was checking her pulse. Even considering she had just been dancing, her pulse was still manic. Her skin was sickly pale, but her cheeks were still flushed from her performance. He was about to put her head in his lap when he was stopped.

"Don't move her. Wait until the ambulance gets here." He glanced upwards for a split second to identify who the voice belonged to, only to find himself meeting the cool eyes of Ichinose-san. Reluctantly, he did as he was told, but held her hand in his own instead. Ichinose-san nodded, and moved away.

"Sora-chan!"

"Sora!"

Behind him, he could hear the voices of Shinomiya, Otoya, Nanami-san and Tomochika-san. By the sounds of it, Ringo-sensei and Hyūga-sensei were keeping them away from the stage, much to their dismay.

"An ambulance is on its way," Hyūga-sensei told them. "Until then we must be careful."

Subaru watched his sister's face for any sign of consciousness, but she was completely still. For ten minutes he sat with her, witnessing as the blood drained from her cheeks, leaving her covered in a sheen of sweat - but whether this was from a sudden fever, or her dancing, he didn't know.

Then everything became a blur. The paramedics arrived and lifted Sora carefully onto a stretcher, but Subaru refused to let go of her hand, afraid that if he did, he'd never hold it again. He felt as though he might break at any moment, the stress and worry piling up until it took all he had to hold back tears.

He'd already jumped into the back of the ambulance before anyone had the chance to ask if he would be coming to the hospital with them. They tried to ask him questions about her medical record, but once it became obvious that it was complicated, they left him alone and did their best to make his sister comfortable for the rest of the trip to the hospital.

He gripped her hand, linking their fingers together. When Sora woke she would be in the place of her nightmares again and he could only guess how she would react when she woke in a place she had worked so hard to be free of. Her regular health checks since then had always taken place at the doctors, and she'd made no secret of how lonely she'd felt as a bedridden patient, always subjected to being in a white bed within a white room.

He wanted to be there for her, when her eyes opened.

 **｡･** **:*:** **･ﾟ** **,** **｡･** **:*:** **･ﾟ ｡･** **:*:** **･ﾟ** **,** **｡･** **:*:** **･ﾟ**

 **Sora** **天**

 _Tears slid down the face of the small silver-haired girl as she stood on the school stage with a microphone in her tiny hands. An unfamiliar audience of around one-hundred gazed back at the sniffling figure._

" _Today is… my birthday," she hiccuped. "It's also my brother Subaru… and this… was going… to be my present to him…" her voice was timid but she kept talking. "This is his favourite song… but he got sick… and… and…" She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. "He made me promise that I'd sing at the talent show without him today anyway…" She took a deep breath and began to sing._

夢

" _Subaru, where are Kaa-chan and To-chan?" The small six-year-old girl held her brother's hand even tighter, but he didn't complain. He pointed to the large doors that led out into the hospital corridor._

" _A doctor was talking to them about you," he said. "Do you want to listen?"_

 _She nodded eagerly and slid out of bed, but then grabbed at her brother when she felt a dizzy spell wash over her._

" _Are you alright, Sora?" Her brother asked, worried. "Maybe you should stay here after all." She shook her head, "If we don't listen, then the adults won't tell us anything."_

 _They pressed their ears against the wooden door, straining to hear what their parents were discussing._

" _Is there no treatment at all?" She recognised the voice of her father who sounded weary._

" _Not at this time. All I can recommend is that she rest. At this point her body is very weak and won't be able to handle the stress that an ordinary lifestyle might bring." That was Tanaka-sensei, the doctor who always looked after her._

" _What are you saying?" Their mother sounded worried._

" _I believe it is better for Sora to stay admitted until we know for sure that her body can handle itself."_

" _You mean, she can't come home? But surely if we just took it easy at home then-" Their mother's voice wavered, and it sounded as though she might cry. Sora's heart churned. Kaa-chan never cried._

" _I'm sorry miss, but we can't ensure her well-being and good health if we can't provide her the care that she needs. You'd still be able to visit her everyday, and if education is an issue, we have a number of school-aged patients who are taught by a private tutor."_

" _We understand," their father said. "It's for the best Izumi," he told their mother. "Sora will recover quickly if she's here."_

" _But.." their mother sniffled. "How do we tell them? Sora and Subaru have always been together. They haven't left each other's side since they were born in this very hospital."_

 _Sora startled when she realised that Subaru had begun wiping her face. Was she… crying?_

" _I won't leave you, Nee-chan!" He declared, hugging her fiercely. "I won't let them keep you here."_

夢

" _Nii-chan!" She desperately struggled to get out of bed but her strength eluded her, much to her frustration. She'd been in hospital for over a year, but it felt as though she'd just gotten weaker and weaker. Luckily, thanks to her family's dedication, Tanaka-sensei had agreed that she could return home in a few months to recuperate; in the hope that being in a familiar environment might help. For the last couple of days however, they had been absent. She felt very lonely._

 _Her parents and brother visited her everyday without fail - always bringing her a treat of some sort for them to share. She wondered if their parents were getting more snacks from the vending machines in the lobby, but the downcast expression of her brother's gave her a bad feeling. Was it related to their absence for the past few days?_

" _Where are Kaa-chan and To-chan?" She asked. "I hope they bring back chocolate mil- Oh, what's wrong, Nii-chan?" Her eyes widened and stomach dropped when she saw a tear slide down Subaru's cheek, and he bit his lip furiously._

" _I came here with Oba-san," he said after a while. "She's talking to your doctor."_

" _Oba-san? You mean the rich lady who didn't like the Christmas cake Kaa-chan made?"_

 _Subaru nodded._

" _But, why is she talking to Tanaka-sensei?" She suddenly felt dizzy and disoriented. Seeing Subaru upset made her upset too._

" _She's… asking for you to be allowed to stay here… permanently, until you get completely well again." The tears that he'd been holding back burst down his cheeks, "Okaa-san, Oto-san, they… they're… there was an accident… and... "_

" _And they… died," he whispered._

 _Her entire body felt sluggish, "What?_

 _Subaru kept talking but she could barely concentrate. "I have to live with Oba-san now, but she said… she doesn't have time to look after you when you're sick… so she… says… until you get better, you have to stay here."_

 _This couldn't be happening! To-chan… and Kaa-chan… dead._

 _And she had to stay here maybe forever. She knew just how weak she was getting._

 _The scream that left her throat didn't sound human._

" _NO! TO-CHAN! KAA-CHAN! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME HERE! TO-CHAN! KAA-CHAN!" She didn't know when Subaru started hugging her, just that he clung to her tightly, while sobbing into her chest._

 _A nurse hurried to her, giving her some pills to swallow. She fell asleep, still holding her brother's hand._

夢

 _When she woke next, Subaru was not by her side. The memories flooded back in a disoriented mess. The white walls of the hospital hurt her eyes. She hated that colour. It was so empty, so cold and unfeeling, and she had stared at it since she was six. It was her eighth birthday today. She wondered if she'd see Subaru to celebrate it together._

 _She didn't want him to be alone on their day either._

" _Yo! You're awake." She mustered all her strength to turn her head to the left, surprised to see that there was a young boy around her own age occupying one of the beds. No one except her had occupied this part of the children's ward since she'd been admitted._

 _That meant that he was pretty sick too._

 _Her tongue felt dry, and her throat still hurt from screaming. She meekly nodded in his direction, hoping he understood._

" _I'm Kurusu Syo," he said. "Oh but you can call me Syo. We might as well be friends while we're here, right?"_

 _Another nod._

" _Are you alright?" He asked. "You don't look so good - should I call the nurse?"_

 _She shook her head and tried to find her voice, "Tired."_

" _Still?" He seemed amazed. "I got here 2 days ago, and you were out cold! How can you need sleep after that?"_

 _2 days? So then it wasn't her birthday… not anymore. How long had it been since Subaru had last visited?_

 _Someone knocked on the door, and she saw that a small group - she guessed that were Syo's family - entered the room. A boy who looked identical to her new roommate went to his side. Twins?_

 _Her heart ached as she watched the scene unfold - Syo chatting to his brother, while his parents watched fondly, but not without exchanging bittersweet smiles amongst themselves._

" _You have a twin?" Sora found herself saying. Syo caught on to her words and smiled proudly._

" _This is Kaoru! He might not be as cool as me, but he's still pretty awesome."_

 _His brother nudged him playfully and he laughed._

" _This is your roommate, Syo?" The woman asked, giving her a warm smile._

 _He nodded. "She just woke up. But I never got her name."_

" _So- Sora," she said, swallowing as she prepared for her next question. "My twin brother… Subaru… have you seen him?"_

 _His eyes widened, "You have a twin too? That's so cool!"_

" _Please - have you seen him? I haven't seen him since… since…" The tears silenced her. Her parents were dead. Subaru wasn't here. Her aunt didn't want to look after her. And maybe that meant Subaru wouldn't be able to visit her anymore._

 _She was alone._

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

When Sora slowly opened her eyes, the whiteness of the room made her cringe, and for a moment she thought she was still in her dream. She became aware of something warm tangled up with her fingers.

Subaru.

He had his fingers entwined with hers and was snoring gently, his lips pressed against the tips of her fingers. She checked her surroundings, her mind getting heavier with anxiety with each second. White room. White bed. White gown.

She was back in Hell.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ


	9. A Vending Machine Feast

**Sora** **天**

She wasn't aware that she'd let out a squeaky scream until Subaru's form shot up quickly and she found herself looking into extremely worried silver eyes.

"Sora!" His eyes didn't lose any of their intensity, but his shoulders relaxed slightly.

She did her best to focus on him, desperate to distract herself from the blinding white of the room, and the dull pain in her chest.

"I'm back here." She let the statement hang in the air, not sure of what else to say. Part of her was struggling to breath, horrified to have woken up in hospital again, not to mention the dreams she'd woken up from. Seeing the past lined up like that made her cringe with guilt.

It clung to the fast fading hope that she would be allowed to leave soon.

Her brother began massaging her fingers, until his thumbs worked her closed fist open, soothing the angry red marks that her fingernails had left in her palm. He was gentle and kind, just as he had been during those long years of imprisonment. Her heart ached when she thought about how much time she had caused her twin to spend in this place.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, voice barely audible. But Subaru heard, and he gave her a small, albeit worried smile.

"Don't be. I'm so glad you're okay." The sound of his voice helped calm her, and she felt desperate to hear more of it. Sleepiness tugged at her eyelids despite the fact she'd only woken up. She struggled to stay awake, unwilling to let her brother - and best friend - out of her sight for another second.

He patted her head, gently stroking her hair with a softness in his expression that he only made with his beloved twin.

"You should rest some more," he told her softly. "I promise I'll still be here when you wake up."

She swallowed, fighting back against the drowsiness. "You should go back to school… You shouldn't fall behind in class; I'll be fine by myself."

He looked startled for a moment at her sentence, but sighed. "Even in a hospital bed, you're still worrying about everyone other than yourself."

Sora smiled. "It's all part of my charm."

Unable to keep her eyes open, she succumbed to her sleepiness; mumbling one last thing under her breath:

"Please sing for me."

And then her ears were blessed with his lovely song, for the first time since the festival.

" _ **A silver angel**_

 _Gin no tenshi_

 _ **Tugging on her red string**_

 _kanojo no akai himo o hippatte_

 _ **Blessed by the sky.**_

 _sora ni shukufuku sa reru."_

A smile adorned her face when she finally drifted off.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Subaru** **スバル**

To describe Subaru as worried was a massive understatement.

Frantic. Hysterical.

Those were much better words to use when he thought about his twin sister lying motionless on the stretcher on the trip to the hospital.

Afterwards, Tanaka-sensei - the doctor who had been overseeing Sora's case since the very beginning - had assured him that she had only collapsed from the dizziness and slight over-exertion caused by her arrhythmia.

"As long as she continues to eat well, take her medication, and exercise a healthy amount, she will be fine, Subaru-kun." The doctor's eyes crinkled as he smiled and patted Subaru on the shoulder.

Subaru realised he'd forgotten to remind Sora to take her meds ever since they'd moved to Saotome Academy. She'd always forget if he wasn't there to remind her.

He felt like the worst brother in the world.

She hadn't died. But that was always a possibility - now more than ever, with her eyes set on becoming an idol.

They'd known it was a risk, but even with Sora's constant reassurances that it would be fine, they'd work around her illness, he should have known better.

He knew her capabilities better than anyone - especially herself. If he'd been paying more attention, then this wouldn't have happened at all. With the work she had put in to prepare for her performance with Nanami-san, he should have spoken to the teachers about letting her rest for another week before having her exam.

He still held her hand, with the other caressing the top of her head. She looked so peaceful; chest rising and falling with the occasional gasp of breath that made his heart skip a beat each time.

In the white hospital gown, she really did appear to be an angel; silver hair splayed out on the pillow, her complexion a bit paler than usual.

Sure, they'd been lucky this time, but what about next time? And he was positive that there would be a next time - there always was.

He was scared.

 **~BING~**

The sound of his phone almost made him jump out of his skin. He carefully gave Sora one last pat before withdrawing his phone.

It was from Otoya.

 **Subaru! Are you at the hospital? Is Sora-chan going to be okay?!**

He squeezed Sora's hand with a light smile, "It looks like we've made some good friends, _Nee-san._ "

With one hand, he typed out his reply:

 **Sora is OK. The doctor says it was just her arrhythmia playing up. If things go well, she should get out in a few days.**

No sooner had he sent it, a few seconds later his phone pinged again.

 **Can we visit her?**

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

"Sora-chan!" Otoya couldn't keep the relieved smile off his face when he saw her with her eyes open, chatting reservedly with Subaru.

The red-haired boy bounded up to her bed and gave her a quick hug. "We were so worried!"

Behind him, Subaru could see two other familiar figures. Shinomiya quickly followed suit and smothered Sora in a big hug, babbling on about how worried he'd been. The other, who had his hat in hand, kept quiet, almost in a daze as he took in the scene.

But that didn't matter. Subaru watched quietly, still grasping his twin's hand, as she caught sight of Syo lurking behind Otoya and Shinomiya, and felt her body tighten.

"Syo-kun," she said, not meeting his eyes. Otoya and Shinomiya made more room and cheerfully called their other friend over to come and join them.

"Sora," his boyish voice was quiet, and lacking his usual energy. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," she said. "I wish they'd let me out today. I really am fine. It was just dizziness and a little chest pain before."

Subaru gave her a look, half-stern, half-sympathetic. "It might be for a few days, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

She sighed, lowering her head. "I know. I just… really don't like being back. And I hate how familiar everything feels. I know he was just being nice but even Tanaka-sensei said ' _Welcome back_ '."

Shinomiya and Otoya regarded her with sympathetic smiles.

" _Daijoubu,_ Sora-chan," Otoya said. "You'll be out in no time! Then you can go back to singing more amazing songs with Syo-kun - _ne_ , Syo-kun?"

Syo blinked, apparently lost in thought before. "Right."

Subaru studied the pair of them, and their sad, nostalgic expressions. Sensing that they might be hoping to exchange reassurances with each other in private, he cleared his throat.

"I should get Sora something to eat - wanna come with?" He directed the question at Otoya and Shinomiya, who both nodded eagerly. "We'll be back soon - look after her for me Syo."

Without another word, he left the room with his other two friends, silently praying that Syo would make the connection with helping Sora that he couldn't.

He was the last one who wanted to admit it, but he had no idea how to help Sora feel better - genuinely better. Her silver eyes had darkened with pain ever since she'd woken, burdened with a massive weight. More than anything he wanted to free her of it, but… he couldn't reach her.

 _Please help her, Syo._

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Sora** **天**

She was relieved for the chance to speak to Syo-kun alone, although his melancholic expression made her heart sink in her chest with guilt. How long had it been since he'd last stepped foot in here?

When Subaru and her friends left the room, Syo-kun came and sat in Subaru's empty chair by her bedside, tracing patterns on the white sheets with his index finger whilst humming softly under his breath.

It was the song they'd sung together.

"Thank you for coming to see me." She said so awkwardly, using formal language ' _keigo_ ' for the first time in… forever; it felt foreign to her.

He shook his head dismissively, letting a few more seconds pass in silence.

And then he broke out into laughter.

The sound was the most wonderful music she had heard all that morning, and caught up in the moment, she began to laugh with him - drawing strange looks from the other patients in the room.

" _Warui!_ " He said, trying his best to compose himself. "It's just… everyone looked so serious - even _I_ was serious, until I realised how weird that must have been."

Sora wiped a stray tear from her eye, "I don't know how I should feel right now." Should she worry about her dance exam result? Or whether she'd ever get out of hospital? Or the way everyone had given her reassuring smiles as though she might drop dead at any given moment?

Syo-kun grinned at her and stood, bowing with his hat placed over his heart, before he rose and dropped it on her head; it sank over her eyes, covering her vision until she shifted it into place.

"For luck - again," he said when she gave him a questioning look. "It worked before, right?"

She felt her face go pink, suddenly aware of his hand that was resting on the white blankets, just a few inches from her own.

There was a tick - an annoying urge - to reach for that hand, and hold it tightly; certain it would somehow fill the part of her that felt scared and lonely.

Syo-kun watched her, blue eyes filled with mischievous energy as usual. "You did pretty good at your dance exam."

Her jaw dropped. " _You_ _saw that absolute monstrosity of a dance routine?!_ "

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. " _Maa_ , just the first half; then I rushed out because I'd forgotten something. I was super surprised to see you being carried off in a stretcher when I came back. And worried. I managed to get what had happened out of Tokiya, who said it shouldn't be anything serious… But still… I know better than anyone how bad overexertion can be on someone with a heart condition."

The silence returned, but then Syo-kun dropped something next to her hand - a small white paper bag.

"Here," he nodded. "It was the thing I'd forgotten. I was planning on making it a present for working so hard on the dance exam, but at this point I'd say you've earned it."

Sora couldn't resist. It there was one thing she loved more than her twin, or singing, it was presents. She eagerly took it in her hands but opted to feel it through the paper first, placing bets from 'most likely' to 'least likely' in her mind.

Syo-kun unsuccessfully hid a laugh. "You're such a child - it's kinda cute."

But she was too absorbed in her bet placing to reply. She could feel a chain of some kind, but there were lots of bumps too. In ordinary circumstances (namely birthdays) she would have spent much longer trying to place the exact type of said chain - necklace, bracelet, or pendulum? Perhaps even an anklet? Or maybe it wasn't jewellery at all.

Finally, she tipped the contents onto her palm, and her heart skipped a beat (non-arrhythmia related) when she saw what she had been given.

A charm bracelet.

Its silver chain was warm from where it had probably sat in Syo-kun's pocket for hours, the heat sank into her cold hand soothingly. There were five different coloured charms. Four stars (pink, yellow, red, and blue); and a yin and yang.

"I saw the charms when I was shopping the other day - and it looked like the sort of thing you'd like." She was speechless, and stroked each of the charms lovingly, the eagerness in her face renewed.

"I love it! I really love it! I _really really really_ love it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

It was Syo-kun's turn to turn pink. " _Un_. You're welcome."

He seemed relieved when she returned her attention back to the charms.

"I wanted to get a charm to represent each of the friends that you've made since you left hospital," he said. "Although, giving it to you in hospital seems a little ironic. But," he pointed to each charm. "There's a star for me, Otoya, Natsuki, and Masa. And the yin and yang represents you and Subaru." His tone was proud as he explained the meaning behind each one.

She gave him her best smile. " _Arigatou,_ Syo-kun!"

He nodded, "I can help you put it on... here…" he gently unclasped the bracelet and brought it under her wrist, fastening it on top. His skin brushed hers as he did, making her heartbeat quicken again.

She admired her new present, holding her wrist up to eye level so she could see them sparkle in the light. The five charms shined back, reminding her of all her new friends - and the twin she absolutely adored. A visible reminder of the people who cared about her, around her wrist at all times. Even when she was alone, they would be with her.

It felt as though a huge weight had been taken off her shoulders, and she sighed deeply with relief.

 _It's so weird that such a small thing can reassure me so much._

Before she had time to thank him again, the rest of their friends bustled into the room - Subaru leading them - towards her bed. She picked out a new face among those that had come to see her before - Hijirikawa-san, who was being pulled along by Otoya with his usual calm expression unhindered - save for a little embarrassment.

"We're back Sora-chan!" Natsuki sang, dumping his armful of snacks on the bedside table. There were piles of bread, assorted drinks, and sweets. Considering she was only supposed to be here a few days, this was _way_ too much.

Subaru gave her an apologetic smile. "They were a bit over enthusiastic with the sweet buying," he said. "You don't have to eat it all."

She shook her head, "It's really nice of you all to do this - even visiting me. I'm grateful."

Syo-kun reached towards the pile and pulled out a box of Pocky, a grin lighting up his face when he recognised it.

"Let's share these!" He already had one in his mouth as he began to offer everyone a Pocky. Hijirikawa-san seemed reluctant but Natsuki nudged him enough that he finally brought one out of the box too.

Otoya smiled sheepishly. "I feel like we should toast or something."

Subaru held in a laugh, "With Pocky?"

Sora jumped at the idea, " _Un_ , that sounds good! Let's do it!"

They waited for Syo-kun and Natsuki (who had already gone through two or three each) to get themselves a new stick, and then Sora cleared her throat excitedly.

"To all my amazing, wonderful, generous, talented, kind friends that I've made at Saotome Academy - and you too _Nii-chan_!" Subaru blushed.

"I'm gonna get out of here soon and then work really hard when I go back to school!"

They all cheered (Hijirikawa-san even managed to get out a quiet _kanpai_ ) - getting a few stern looks from the nurses that were tending to other patients.

"Be patient with yourself, Shimono-san," Hijirikawa-san said after they'd finished eating. "Overworking yourself will only worsen your health."

Otoya and Syo-kun nodded with him.

"Be kind to yourself, and let yourself make mistakes Sora-chan," Otoya said kindly, with his soft smile. "It doesn't always have to be hard work all the time!"  
"Except if you missed a few vital steps during the dance exam, Ittoki-san," Hijirikawa-san said, causing the red-head's face to go pink and look at the floor ashamed. " _Gomen,_ Masa."

Everyone laughed and Natsuki threw an arm around him. "Don't worry Oto-chan! We know you worked hard."

Otoya's smile returned, " _Arigatou_ , Natsuki."

"Anyway," Syo-kun said. "Just focus on getting better first. We're all worried about you, right guys?"

Everyone nodded.

Sora's eyes welled up, "T-Thank you! I won't ever let you down!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ


	10. Okaerinasai, Sora!

**Sora** **天**

She giggled as she stood before the school gates, not yet over the the border of Saotome Academy. Sora could feel her brother's eyes on her and gave him another excited smile, identical to the ones she had been throwing his way for the entire trip back to the school. A few days after her friends had visited her, she had been discharged with a warning not to strain herself with too much physical activity. She had wanted to take the opportunity to walk back to school and stretch her legs from being cooped up for most of the week but Subaru didn't want to hear it, insisting he call a taxi.

And now she was back, ready to give back to everyone who had supported her thus far.

 _One step. Two steps!_

" _Tadaima!_ " She called out happily the moment she shuffled past the gate, eyeing the main school building from afar. It was after class and the sun was descending slowly, leaving the sky with a deep pink blush.

Subaru ruffled her hair as he joined her, her bag in tow, unwillingly to let his sister carry it. "Let's get you to the dorm."

Her eyes widened. "But you said… that we can't go to each other's rooms!"

There was that familiar tide of guilt again - she hadn't been a particularly tidy tenant and it wouldn't be an overstatement to say the last time she had been in her room, it appeared as though a bomb had hit it. Subaru was a neat freak and would probably die if he saw the room how she had left it.

She felt his eyes on her as they headed towards the girl dorms, while she mentally sorted through her book of plausible excuses she could use to stop him from coming in.

Obviously the roommate excuse was out.

Then… _how_?

She wracked her brains as they headed inside the dorm building, and even more so when they entered the elevator to her room floor.

Finally, just as Subaru had placed her key in the door, she stopped him.

"You can't come in!" She told him. He raised his eyebrow at her, "Why?"

"B-because," _Would this really work?_ "Because otherwise you'll ruin _the surprise!"_

Subaru blinked. "Huh?"

She stood her ground, crossing her arms and playfully shoving him away from the door, "That's right! My super amazing, wonderfubble surprise that I'd been planning just for you! So, you can't come in because then it will be ruined and I spent a lot of time trying to sort it out."

"Wonder- _what?_ "

"A word I made up- ah it doesn't matter, you just can't come in."

"Are you talking about our birthday next week?"

 _It was their birthday next week?_ With everything that had happened she'd completely lost track of time.

"Yeah! Yeah, that! So you can't ruin my hard work, 'kay?"

"That's fine," he said. " _ **Onee-sama's**_ health is better than any other present."

 _Why is he such a nice person?! Why is he so perceptive!? WHY?! SUBARU !?_

It only made her feel worse about what would happen if he saw the state of her room. She could just see him as he spent the rest of the night cleaning up her mess until everything shone, sacrificing his sleep so she could have a nice environment. No! She couldn't cause him more trouble.

" _Su-chi_ ," she had to stop herself from giggling when she saw him give a double take from the cutesy nickname. "I am your _Nee-san_! You wouldn't want to disrespect _Nee-san's_ wishes, right?"

Dropping her bag at her feet, he held his hands up in surrender, sighing. "Alright, but… I know you're up to something - and it's probably something like your room is a mess or something and you're just embarrassed."

She flinched. " _No way!_ My room is the image of cleanliness! It's just a surprise for you next week! So, I'll be able to let you in then!"

Everything seemed to have gone well as she watched her brother turn around to leave. However, not before he called over his shoulder, "You were always bad at remembering what day it is while you were in hospital."

She blinked, "Wha'dya mean?"

"It's May 19th today," he told her, a little hesitant. "Our birthday is _tomorrow_."

She knew what that meant. It was their parent's anniversary… _today._

And she hadn't remembered. Dates always felt disorienting when she was in hospital, but for her that was no excuse. He saw her guilty face and shook his head at her; quickly returning to her side to give her a hug.

"It's okay," he whispered into her hair. "We'll go visit them tomorrow, okay?"

She bit her lip and nodded, "Okay."

Taking a step back, he ruffled her hair again, nothing but warm concern showing in the expression he wore."Try and get some sleep, okay?"

She nodded.

 _He really is the best brother._

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Subaru** **スバル**

"Sorry for coming in so late." Subaru apologised as he entered his own room.

His roommate shrugged. "You were looking after your sister right? Don't worry about it."

He threw on his pajamas and slipped into bed, muscles tense. His stomach growled and he sighed, turning to face the wall so his roommate didn't have to deal with his deadpan expression.

He made sure Sora had eaten before they'd gotten back, and she'd tucked in hungrily when they'd ordered two huge bowls of ramen at a small restaurant close to the school; she'd looked so hungry, he'd pushed his bowl towards her and insisted he wasn't hungry anyway.

There were two things that instantly cheered her up: singing, and eating. He rolled his eyes when he pictured her hopeful expression as she slurped up both of their dinners.

Today would mark their parents' 8th anniversary.

Thanks to _Okaa-san's_ older brother and sister (his and Sora's aunt and uncle), their parents' resting place had been situated at a very fancy cemetery on the edge of the city; every plot was tended to and kept clean and sparkling. He couldn't imagine how much it would have cost for a plot like that, which only made him more curious about what his aunt and uncle's occupations were. He hadn't even met his uncle; whenever he'd asked _Oba-san_ she had brushed him off and said it didn't concern him.

He hadn't bothered to ask her again, not that he ever had the opportunity. She was his and Sora's guardian in name only, as she was barely home at the apartment.

Did she even care that they were at Saotome Academy? She had to sign consent forms to allow them to attend, but she hadn't said a word to them about it.

 **Bing!**

He grabbed his phone and almost let out a snort. This is what Sora would call a _plot convenience_ if there ever was one.

A message from: **Oba-san.**

He read it carefully.

 **It's time for you to meet your uncle. A car will be coming for you tomorrow. Be at the school gates 3pm sharp.**

The cold message didn't surprise him, but the offer to meet their uncle did. He knew Sora was just as curious about their mother's side of the family as he was. It wouldn't hurt to see what everything was about, right?

He typed back his acknowledgement and buried himself under his bed covers. Tomorrow would be hectic, but at least he didn't have to worry about class; they had a day off. Earlier that day, Otoya had been talking about getting together with everyone so that they could fill Sora in on everything that had happened since she'd been away.

Subaru hadn't mentioned to anyone that it was their birthday tomorrow. Ever since they had become orphans, he and Sora had come to a silent arrangement that they would spend their birthday together quietly and remember their family as it used to be before they lost it. It was more of an appreciation of the people who loved them both, more than a celebration of each other and both of them liked it better that way.

He drifted off, still wondering about their uncle, and what tomorrow would hold.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

A group of eight had agreed to meet in the library that morning. Subaru had gotten up an hour earlier so that he could sneak into the girls dorms and pick up Sora, knowing full well that she'd oversleep.

The twins had arrived to see their friends, namely Otoya, Shinomiya, Syo, and Hijirikawa-san sitting waiting for them. He recognised the gentle face of Nanami-san and smiled shyly at her when she caught sight of them both. That smile melted away when he saw another addition to their gathering.

Jinguji Ren.

Subaru sidled closer to Sora so that their hands brushed as they joined the rest of the group, however his efforts seemed to be in vain when Syo gestured for her to sit next to him - in the seat that was between him and the school's playboy.

Ren winked at Subaru as his sister began merrily greeting everyone. He gave one last warning look at the rich boy, before finding his own seat by Nanami-san and Otoya.

 **Sora** **天**

"So," Sora began, eyes bright. "What's been happening?"

Natsuki and Otoya began to answer eagerly, explaining about the dance exam results, the wonderful song that _Ren-chan_ had played thanks to a little help from Haruka, and how they discovered the source of Syo-kun's fear of heights.

Her eyes darted to Syo-kun when the focus shifted to him and he went very quiet, clearly annoyed.

"You guys…" he grumbled. "She was the only one that didn't know…"

"But he's okay now!" Natsuki told her happily. "So now he can audition for Hyūga-sensei's new movie!"

Sora remembered how excited she'd been when she had discovered the article announcing the auditions to co-star with Hyūga-sensei. She hadn't had a chance to share the news with Syo-kun before she had landed herself in hospital. Just thinking about her friend sharing the glory with the Prince of Fighting made her go off on a huge excited tangent once again.

When she noticed that Syo-kun hadn't joined in with her, she eyed him quizzically. "Aren't you excited, Syo-kun?"

He went red. "The audition is… to find a cute-looking girl to play Hyūga-sensei's younger sister…"

Natsuki laughed. "Syo-chan looks so cute in the dress I bought him!"

"OI NATSUKI!"

Natsuki just let out another happy giggle, and Sora couldn't stop herself from doing the same.

"Jeez Sora-chan, you too?"

She patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Sorry! I just… think you'd look really cool even if you were wearing a dress. You've got one of those auras."

He stuttered out something that might have been a " _T-thanks, I guess."_

Hijirikawa-san shared his thoughts for the first time that morning.

"If the auditions are specifically for a female role, then doesn't that mean Shimono-san can still audition? I assume that you would be interested, Shimono-san."

" _Me?_ " She thought about it and laughed nervously. Sure, when she'd first seen the audition ad she'd thought about auditioning, but it wasn't something she thought she'd ever take seriously and she hadn't been very good in any of the acting classes they'd had so far at school.

"I'd be rubbish at acting!"

"If you're going to be an idol, it's better now when your mistakes are less noticeable then later when you have been acknowledged as an idol." Everything Hijirikawa-san said made sense.

"But, it's for a little sister, right? And they have to be cutesy and timid, right? Have you _met_ me?"

"You're super, _super_ cute, Sora-chan!" Natsuki told her. "Everyone thinks so, right?"

Haruka and Otoya nodded cheerfully. Ren gave her a suggestive wink. Syo-kun blushed, nodding nonetheless. Hijirikawa-san also gave a nod. She focused on her brother, feeling embarrassed from the praise. As a sibling, she wasn't gonna give up this chance to tease him.

"What do _you_ think, _Nii-chan?_ " She purposely made her voice higher, and eyed him innocently as she had seen little sisters in anime and manga act.

He pouted. "It's weird if I say it. We're related."

"I'll take that as a yes!" She laughed. "Okay then! If you guys believe in me that much, then maybe I will audition after all! Although…" she was embarrassed to admit it. "I've never worn a dress before. Will it help to wear one at the audition?"

Syo-kun did a double take, "You've never worn a dress?"

"Not asides from the hospital gowns… I was a bit of a tomboy when I was younger."

He jumped out of his seat, "Then we've got no time to lose, right? We can go shopping right now."

"Is that really okay?" Already she noticed he seemed more relaxed at the mention of shopping. Did he enjoy it?

"I'm pretty good with fashion," he told her. "Plus I know Prince of Fighting. So having me around would be useful, right?"

"Right."

He gave her a cheeky grin, "Then what are we waiting for?"

"I want to come!" Natsuki clapped his hands.

"I should come too, and make sure you get back in time." Subaru said. He had explained on the way to the library how their aunt had contacted him, requesting for them to be at the school gates by 3pm. She knew she would definitely forget if her brother didn't tag along to remind her.

Still, it felt awkward going dress shopping with a bunch of guys.

"Will you come with me too, Haru-chan?" She asked, hopeful.

The golden-eyed girl smiled. "I'd love to!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

Sora had never gone clothes shopping before. She'd barely needed her own clothes when she lived in hospital, and for the year that she had returned, she found a bag full of expensive looking clothes courtesy of her aunt. She was excited to share the first experience with her friends.

Syo-kun seemed to know the shopping mall inside and out.

"I love shopping!" He told Sora with a huge grin as they entered the massive shopping complex. "My dad's a stylist, so I really like fashion too!"

Beside her, Haruka was cheerfully asking Subaru questions about composing, and from the sounds of it, he was getting flustered from all the attention.

Sora giggled and nudged Syo-kun. "Look at him!"

The blonde looked over to what she was gesturing to.

"The song you wrote for Syo-kun and Sora-chan was amazing, Subaru-kun!" The innocent girl was saying. "I wish I could write a song as wonderful as that!"

Subaru blushed. _Blushed._

"Ah, er, it really wasn't a big deal. Syo and _Nee-san_ made it sound special."

Haruka continued to shower him in praises.

Sora checked Syo-kun, expecting to see him as amused as she was, but he'd fallen silent.

"Syo-kun?" She asked, "Are you okay?"

Natsuki, who had been tagging along without saying anything suddenly spoke up with a mischievous giggle. "Syo-chan talked to Haru-chan _a lot_ when you were in hospital, Sora-chan!"

Immediately she got the hint.

"Oooooh, Syo-kun's in loooov- MMPH!"

A hand clamped over her mouth and she dissolved into more giggles when Syo-kun received an icy glare from Subaru, and quickly withdrew his offending hand.

"So it's true!" Sora exclaimed after Subaru continued to listen to Haruka. Syo-kun just looked away sulkily.

She left him for a second and pulled Natsuki aside. "I want to help him out, what do you think, Natsuki?"

His eyes lit up. "I love a good love story! Leave it to me Sora-chan!"

Nothing suspicious happened until they reached the first dress store. Syo-kun began to explain his take on what the Prince of Fighting's little sister would be like, and taking multiple dresses off racks to push into Sora's arms.

"Try these first," he told her. "Then come out and show us each one."

She disappeared into the changing room and felt excitement bubble up again.

 _Dresses were so pretty!_ Stripping out of her jeans and hoodie (hand-me-downs that she had to beg Subaru not to throw out for sentimental reasons), she slipped on a baby blue chiffon knee-length dress.

As she pulled back the changing room curtain, she was just in time to see Natsuki oh-so-discreetly bump into Haruka. The shy girl went flying…

… into the arms of Subaru…

"I'm so sorry Subaru-kun!" Haruka exclaimed, quickly getting back to her feet.

Subaru was still in shock, "N-no problem."

Syo-kun glared fiercely at Natsuki.

"What did you do that for, Natsuki?"

His friend bit his lip, " _Gomen_. I meant to push her into you, but she went too far to the right."

"You-"

"I'm back!" Sora announced, not wanting things to escalate any further. She spun in her dress and looked expectantly at her audience, hands on her hips. "What do you think?"

" _Ah~ Kawaii!"_ Natsuki sang. "That colour makes Sora-chan look like a cute little penguin!"

She smiled triumphantly, "Just the look I was going for!"

Syo-kun's embarrassment dissolved with the subject changed, "You look really cute," he told her matter-of-factly. "But I imagined Hyūga-sensei's little sister to look more… girly? And the chiffon comes across as more flirty, ya'know?"

Sora laughed, not able to resist staring at the way he studied her apparel so seriously with a focused frown creasing his brow.

"The next one then!"

She repeated the process for the next three dresses, which elicited the same response.

Cute… but not innocent enough.

There was only one dress left.

It was simple - white with lace; tiny daisies adorned the bodice, and the skirt fluffed out below her knees.

The atmosphere changed when she stepped out.

Haruka clapped in delight. "You look beautiful, Sora-chan!"

Sora did a twirl, shy for the first time since they'd begun. "But is it girly enough?"

Syo-kun stared at her thoughtfully, and then stepped forward. "Just a sec." He gently reached up towards her twin bunches and eased the hair bands out carefully, fluffing her hair out and letting her long silver strands fall over her shoulders.

Satisfied, he stepped back and gave her a grin. "Perfect! You look like the definition of innocent."

Subaru nodded in agreement. "You're… like an angel."

She blushed at the compliment, "You're way more of an angel than I could ever be, _Nii-chan_." Inside she was soaring. Personally, this dress was her favourite too.

She shuddered when she saw the price-tag, but Subaru didn't even blink when he saw her hesitation. He accompanied her to the counter and handed over a black card. Done. Sora wanted to ask him where he had gotten it - had their aunt finally gotten fed up with being asked for every little thing? It made her sad to think that their own remaining family didn't want anything to do with them.

Not to mention this uncle figure was even more mysterious. It made her beyond curious, but excited too. Could he be a really important person who had to lay low to protect his family? Like a secret agent or something?

She was still stuck in her thoughts when they returned to the school just before 3pm. She'd completely abandoned the idea of helping Syo and Haruka get together (at least, while in the presence of Subaru) but she smiled to herself when she thought of the two together. Coming from her friendship with Syo-kun, she was positive that if anyone could protect shy, delicate Haruka, it was him - and he seemed like the kind of guy who would appreciate that kind of dependency being placed on him.

"Thank you for today, everyone!" She said once they reached the school gate. "Especially you, Syo-kun!"

A black car suddenly pulled up by the school gates, a driver coming out and opening the door, gesturing for her and Subaru to get inside.

What… was this?

"Your aunt has asked me to take you to your destination," he explained when he caught sight of the twins' bewildered faces.

Their three friends eyed up the vehicle with disbelief.

"That's one fancy car…" Syo-kun murmured.

Sora laughed nervously. "Our aunt has a pretty good job… I think,"

Subaru pulled on her sleeve, although he didn't seemed entirely sure of himself either. Neither of them knew that their aunt had a chaperone like this in her employ (or that she had anyone like this).

They nodded their farewell to Syo-kun, Haruka, and Natsuki.

"I guess we can tell you about this when we get back." Subaru said hesitantly.

The two of them found themselves reaching out for each other's hand as they lowered themselves into the backseat.

Just where on earth would they be going?

The car drove off… leaving their three friends in the dust.

It was time to meet their family.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ


	11. Oji-san is WHAT!

**Sora** **天**

" _Are we there yet?"_ She'd lost count of how many times she had asked, and Subaru gave her his perfected _are-you-seriously-asking-again_ look even though she knew he was just as bored as she was.

It had been forever since they'd started driving.

"It's only been twenty minutes, Sora." Subaru sighed, lightly poking her forehead. "Be a little more patient."

"But we don't even know where we're going! It's like… it's like we've been _kidnapped!_ "

She was unusually on edge about the entire affair; it didn't sit right with her that suddenly out of the blue the family that had ignored them whenever possible suddenly wanted to meet with them both.

Her phone told her it was 3:21pm… would they even be able to visit their parents now that it was this late? Beside her, Subaru seemed to sense her reservations and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Relax," he told her. "We'll go and see what this uncle wants, and then come back and see _Okaa-san_ and _Oto-san_ , okay?"

She nodded.

Soon the car pulled to a stop and they heard the driver get out, opening the door and gesturing for the two to remove themselves from the vehicle.

The pair of them gawked at where they had been brought: a massive iron-wrought gate, not unsimilar to the one that covered the entrance of Saotome Academy. Another suited man stepped forward and greeted them without a smile, asking them to follow him.

Beyond the gate was the biggest front lawn either of them had seen with a driveway that looped around a large fountain before leading back to the gate where they'd been dropped off: clearly they weren't deemed important enough to be dropped off by the front door.

As they neared the fountain, Sora eyed the dark statue that loomed over them. It was a scary looking man with a wide hat, armed with a cigar, smirking at onlookers over the top of his glasses.

Scary as he may be, Sora felt as though he was oddly familiar.

They were led past the statue and up the steps to the front doors… of a monstrous-sized mansion and ushered inside by Suitman. The inside was just as dazzling. Twin staircases mirrored each other and wound upwards, probably leading to even more amazing rooms. Sora was content to gawk at the mansion entrance for the rest of her days.

This place was fancier than even Shining Saotome's ostentatious displays of wealth - was that… a crystal chandelier? _Five of them?!_

"You seem surprised, Sora." A strict voice made her notice the stern woman standing in front of them. Her figure was painfully thin and she wore a matching black dress jacket and skirt with a simple white blouse. Adding to her stern expression, her ash-brown hair was tightly pulled into a bun. It was the first time Sora had seen her since she left the hospital last year, but there was no hint of emotion on the woman's face.

 _Oba-san._

Oba-san eyed them both with narrow eyes. "Your uncle is waiting."

Without another word she spun around and started towards a room off on the right, heels clicking on the black marble floor.

Such a large, foreign place. Sora found herself linking pinkies with Subaru, trailing closer to her twin as she nervously went over everything she had witnessed so far.

Why was their aunt here? Did she work here? It would certainly explain her fancy apartment, but who on earth was she working _for?_ And who was this uncle? Did he also work here? No, that made no sense, why would an uncle unrelated to such a dazzling mansion decide to meet them here?

But there was no way they had a relative that could actually _live here_ could they?

Their aunt stopped by the doorway and gestured for them to enter the room without her, "He's waiting." She repeated, before disappearing without so much as a 'How's school?'

Not that either of them were expecting that.

Still linking pinkies, Sora and Subaru stepped inside what appeared to be a large study. There, sitting behind a glossy black desk, cigar lazily sitting in the corner of his mouth, was a man who was supposedly their uncle.

The spitting image of the statue they had passed outside… this was a mistake, right?

There was absolutely no way they were related to someone as grossly rich as this.

Seeing her confused face, he barked with laughter - although it was a humourless laugh.

"I understand your disbelief." His voice was so deep it was almost a growl, harsh and cold. "It's in an amateur's wildest dreams that they realise their uncle is none other than _Raging Ootori._ "

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Subaru** **スバル**

Nope.

Absolutely not.

 _Although that does explain a lot._

The coldness and lack of love towards himself and Sora for instance.

The popular idol Raging Ootori had created his legacy with his song _Love is Dead_.

Someone who wrote a song like that didn't seem like a person who would welcome anyone with open arms. Even now, the intimidating man gave them a grin; cold and calculating. He felt Sora unlink their pinkies and slip her hand into his again.

When he looked across at her, he hadn't expected to see her become so pale.

Not that he could blame her. This was _Raging Ootori._

Ootori leaned forward smirking at them. "Your aunt tells me that the pair of you have enrolled at _that man's_ school." Subaru flinched. _There it was._ The heated rivalry between Raging Ootori and Shining Saotome.

He had to repress the urge to sigh since it was becoming increasingly obvious what this conversation was going to be like.

"At first, I admit I didn't care. _What's two more talentless brats joining that school matter?_ However, this was then brought to my attention,"

Ootori held something up and Subaru felt his blood chill. "Where did you get that?" He demanded.

The other man chuckled, "I have eyes and ears everywhere. Had I known about this beforehand, I never would have allowed the two of you near that school."

He dropped what he had been holding onto the desk: a CD demo labelled _Our Lullaby: Shimono Twins, Tokyo Summer Music Festival._

A recording from last year…

"What do you want from us?" Sora's trembling voice betrayed her.

Ootori puffed his cigar and narrowed his eyes. "I want your voices. The two of you are wasting away at that school in an attempt to get what I'm willing to give you right now."

Subaru eyed him questioningly.

The older man smirked. "You want a national debut? If you leave that school and join Raging Entertainment, I'll give you everything you've ever wanted and more!"

The pair of them stayed silent, lost for words. Sensing their reluctance, Ootori muttered something into an earpiece before turning his attention back to them.

"Perhaps you need more solid proof of my dedication to each of your debuts." He said.

"Each of ours?" Sora piped up, sounding unsure. "You mean you aren't going to let us stay together?"

"Absolutely not." Ootori laughed as though the idea of it was ridiculous. "You will never be successful if you sing together. You are aware yes, that an _incestuous_ dynamic such as your own is best left to trash fiction?"

Subaru slammed his fists down onto the desk, making everything on it clatter loudly. "How _dare_ you! It's nothing like that! I'm just-"

He was cut off by a knock on the door. Subaru and Sora turned to see two boys, with the same ash-brown hair as Raging Ootori.

"Allow me to introduce you to your cousins!" Ootori boomed. "My sons, Ootori Eiji," the boy who looked around their own age with a gentle expression smiled warmly at them both. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you both!"

"... And Ootori Eichi: the leader of the up and coming idol group HEAVENS!"

The last young man smiled sadistically, glasses glinting. He stepped forward and studied them both for a moment, cold eyes chilling Subaru to the bone, and noticeably lingering for a moment longer than necessary when they fell on Sora. She gripped her brother's hand tightly, trying to hide the trembling.

"What a cute little cousin." Eichi leered, his smile relentless. "So innocent looking.." he leaned forward and lowered his voice to a whisper. " _Makes me want to see you in despair."_

"Oi!" Subaru firmly pushed him away from her. "Leave her alone!"

Eichi paused and regarded him again coldly, before bursting into hollow laughter.

"So this is who you want joining us, _Oto-san?_ Alright then… _it should be fun._ "

Subaru glared at him.

Ootori took another puff of his cigar. "HEAVENS will be a three-member boy idol group that will be debuting at the end of the year. It will wipe away any idols that Saotome attempts to graduate…"

He stood, pointing at Subaru. "You would be the third member!"

"I don't sing," Subaru said flatly. "Which renders this whole conversation pointless." He took a few steps toward the door leading Sora away.

"Perhaps you could be persuaded to find your voice again if it meant your sister could keep hers."

" _What did you just say?"_

The rage from before came bursting forth again and Subaru found himself at the edge of the study desk, facing his uncle with furious eyes while Sora peered out from behind him, meekly.

Ootori roared with laughter, "Aren't you a hot-head! That's good, it'll add to the idol image."

His eyes betrayed his amusement. "It would be a shame if I ruined your sister's idol career before it even began, wouldn't it? A word from me to anyone in this business could make or break someone's career…"

Subaru narrowed his eyes. "You'd do that to your own family?"

"Family has no meaning in this industry: success is the only thing that does." The large man nodded to his sons. "They know that! They were raised to achieve victory no matter the cost! It is the same standard that all of Raging Entertainment's assets are held to."

"How awful." Subaru barely recognised his sister's voice. Sora came out of hiding behind him and stood at his side.

"These are your _sons!_ Your _family!_ Doesn't their happiness mean anything to you? Their hopes and dreams for their own future are far more important than writing a hit single. _Okaa-san_ always taught us to support each other."

"Perhaps," mused Ootori. "And perhaps your inability to be professional and allow your brother to pursue a successful career because of a selfish desire to perform with _only him_ will be the reason he doesn't reach greatness."

He might have well as slapped her for all the effect it had on her. Her eyes lowered to the ground and she furiously began to chew her bottom lip, a habit she had developed as a child.

Subaru could see this wasn't going to go anywhere, but he doubted that they'd be allowed to just walk free without a direct answer.

As if he could ever perform with anyone who wasn't Sora. And this group… HEAVENS sounded like it would be an absolute nightmare if it followed its founder's principles and led by someone as cold as Eichi.

"This is a lot for them to take in at once _Oto-san."_ Tt was Eiji who spoke, and his voice was softer than his father and older brother. "Maybe if you gave them some time, they could clear their heads and make a rational decision at a later date."

Ootori looked amused. "Very well then. I'll give the pair of you one week to determine whether or not you will transfer to Raging Entertainment. I'll warn you however," he cast a glance at the shopping bag in Sora's hand from earlier that afternoon. "If you do not answer favourably, than I may be forced to… _deny_ access to certain funds in order to compensate for the finances your debut as idols would have added, and I imagine that given a certain someone's health requirements in order to stay away from the hospital, that would be _very_ devastating."

Sora stifled a cry, the trembles from her hands now spreading throughout her body.

Subaru gritted his teeth at the threat.

 _In other words, 'accept my offer or I'll make sure Sora goes back to the hospital.'_

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

Neither of them said anything until they got into the car on the way back to Saotome Academy. Subaru was seething, disgusted by the exchange that had taken place.

Choosing to adopt a _victory at any cost_ principle was all well and good, but to threaten his sister with her health issues was **unforgivable**.

He watched Sora with concern; she was struggling to keep her composure, still chewing her lip. Her hand was unresponsive when he squeezed it.

"Sora?" He said gently. She responded with a barely audible whimper.

"Everything is going to be okay," he told her. "So don't start thinking something silly like you're holding me back. Because if it comes to choosing between music or my sister's happiness, I'll choose you every time. That's a choice that I have made by myself, so please don't blame yourself."

Her silver eyes were now dull and grey.

"I know," Her voice was cold. "I know you'd do anything for me."

It was 4:10pm. Surely they still had time for one little detour? The school gates didn't close until 6.

He managed to get the attention of the silent driver. "Uh, excuse me? Can we make a little detour? We meant to go to the cemetery today."

The driver sighed, but nodded. "Very well."

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 _ **In Memory**_

 _ **of**_

 _ **Ootori Izumi**_

 _ **Shimono Satoshi**_

It was such a cold remembrance message; not an ounce of affection in the stone at all. Given their recent lesson in their family tree, their mother's family name suddenly made sense. _Ootori._ Why had they never suspected?

" _Okaa-san_ never told us that she came from a family in the music business," he said, joining Sora where she sat cross-legged in front of the gravestone. "I suppose if she had then it wouldn't have been too hard to put two and two together."

"She was kind and compassionate… _unlike them_." Sora muttered, playing with blades of grass underneath her fingertips.

Raging Ootori. Ootori Eiji. Ootori Eichi. _Oba-san._

Joining Raging Entertainment.

Not joining Raging Entertainment at the risk of Sora's incarceration.

HEAVENS.

Things had become so complicated so quickly. More than anything he wanted to sit down and talk everything through with his sister, but she seemed so distant ever since he had spoken earlier in the car.

 _Did she want to take the offer?_

" _Ne,_ Subaru," he blinked in surprise when Sora spoke, eyes looking at him intently while rolling a daisy between her thumb and forefinger.

"You don't have to look after me anymore," she told him. "So you should focus on yourself."

His surprise stayed stuck to his face. "What are you talking about? I told you that I'd always put you first."

" _That's the problem, Subaru!"_

He winced at the sharpness in her tone, but she continued.

"You keep putting me first. You keep neglecting yourself because you're so determined that I'm the only one that matters - and I'm grateful to have someone that cares about me so much - but I can't keep watching as you sacrifice your happiness for mine. **You matter too!** "

She wiped her eyes and met his eyes, jaw set stubbornly.

"Sora…" he reached for her hand but she moved it away.

"No. From now on I'm going to take care of _you._ I'm going to get stronger so that I can be a good sister and shoulder my own burdens rather than watch you suffer under it all."

"Sor-"

"Which brings me to my first question," she cut him off, voice thick with emotion.

"Did you decide to come to Saotome Academy because you wanted to watch over me, or because you wanted to be an idol as much as I do?"

Is this what she had been worrying about? That he didn't want to be at the school - that he'd said he wanted to be an idol just because she said she wanted to sing with him?

It was true that he loved music, and once upon a time performing had been the best feeling in the world - more so knowing that he shared that feeling with his sister.

But for him, family came first always. Not being able to love and support his family as they did him made his music void of passion and purpose. He sang for his parents who had been so supportive; for his sister, the person who understood him better than anyone else, who was always bright and kind despite her own misfortune; and for himself, because music gave him the ability to heal and help.

Sora was still waiting for an answer.

"Both," he said. "There is no point to my music if I can't enjoy it with you."

More tears cascaded down her cheeks. "I was afraid you'd say that."

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Sora** **天**

She'd stumbled into her dorm room at some point, discarding her shopping bag, and buried herself under her bed covers, sobbing. Her chest felt tight and her breath came out in quick, shallow puffs as her anxiety took over.

It was her fault.

It was her fault she was so weak; her fault that her younger brother had spent most of his life nursing her, reassuring her, protecting her.

It was her fault that he felt as though he had to always watch over her; if she had been stronger then he wouldn't have felt so insecure about losing his last family member.

Everything was her fault.

She stayed curled up in the darkness for what seemed like hours, tears soaking her pillow. Her head and eyes throbbed; she wanted nothing more than to sleep - maybe even forever - but her brain was on a destructive loop and wouldn't allow her to settle down.

Instead she found herself wandering back outside, lost within thoughts that kept her mind numb.

 _This is all my fault._

 _I'm weak._

 _I'm a burden._

 _Subaru would be so much better off without me to hold him back._

 _I… I miss my family._

 _I want to go back to when we were all together._

 _When we were a normal family of four._

 _What do I do?_

 _What do I do?!_

"OOPH-!" Lost in thought, she collided with someone else. Everyone was at dinner so the school grounds had been quiet, save for the person who she had so brazenly discovered.

"S-sorry." She croaked, her throat dry.

"Sora?" She recognised his boyish voice immediately, and realised too late that her legs had brought her to the outside of the boys dorm. Her heart had betrayed her it would seem.

"You look awful! Are you okay?"

 _Burden._

 _Such a troublesome burden._

"I-I'm fine!" She rasped. "Just feeling a bit under the weather."

Syo-kun didn't look as though he believed her, "Are you sick? Do you need me to get Subaru?"

" _No!"_ She burst out, and Syo-kun looked taken aback. "Did something happen? Did you two fall out?"

 _Burden, burden, burden._

She faked her best smile. "Of course not! We never fight - Team Shimono has gotta stay strong!"

"Sora," he was insistent. "Please, I can see you've been crying. What happened?"

 _Don't burden him with such silly things._

 _ **But Syo-kun is my friend. He'll understand.**_

"I…" She could feel the tears welling up again, "I…"

A warm hand grasped her shoulder and her gaze wandered to his face, azure eyes kind. It was that kindness that made her chest tighten uncomfortably and stray tears rolls down her cheeks again.

"Deep breaths, Sora," he encouraged. "You're going to be okay."

She tried the follow his advice, breathing deeply. Remembering her wish to be back with her perfect family of four, pain blossomed within her heart once again.

It was no use.

"Have you eaten?" Syo-kun asked, hand still supporting her. She shook her head.

"Then let's get you something to eat first and then afterwards-"

"I can't go in to dinner!" She rasped, emotion choking her. "Subaru might be in there and-"

"He won't be. I just saw him head into his room with stuff from the vending machine." Syo-kun's eyes were full of concern and questions. "So please let me see you eat something, kay? It'll make you feel better."

She slowly nodded and allowed him to lead her towards the dining hall.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

She sighed into her bowl of untouched rice, fingers rolling her chopsticks. Syo-kun sat opposite her, keeping her company for what had been half an hour without pushing her to say anything.

"You don't have to tell me," he said finally. "But, did something happen after you left in that car this afternoon?"

She froze, her chopsticks clattering to the table.

 _That wasn't obvious in any way, shape, or form._

So she nodded, reaching for her can of rich hot chocolate that Syo-kun had bought for her.

The sweetness bled over her tongue, removing the edge off the soreness in her throat.

"It was your aunt's car wasn't it?" Syo-kun remembered, and then as if he'd thought of something terrible he immediately shut up.

Sora regarded him suspiciously. "What?"

"I-It's nothing," he backtracked but upon seeing her downcast face he paused. "Nothing _bad_ happened to your aunt did it?"

He was asking if their aunt had died, go figure.

She let out a hollow laugh, "No. She's very much alive."

Was she allowed to tell him what had transpired? Her gut instinct told her no, her uncle would find out and then throw more blackmail at her. She would rather die than have Syo-kun caught up in her web of issues.

She had already resolved to be stronger, so maybe keeping quiet and allowing herself time to solve the problem would be her test.

She took another swig of her drink and allowed herself a mouthful of rice, cringing at the blandness. She hadn't thought to add anything to it.

"Nothing happened," she told her friend. "We just had to discuss my hospital and prescription fees with our aunt, and they turned out to be more than we'd expected."

"Will you be okay?" He asked. "I know how it feels to be guilty about being a burden and having that much money spent on my behalf."

 _A burden._

 **He understands.**

Her heart lightened slightly and she even managed a tiny smile at him which he returned tenfold.

"Thank you for understanding," she said. "I just got a bit stressed out and needed some time alone to think. I should probably go and explain that to my brother now," she added, getting up from her seat.

"Thank you for being with me, Syo-kun."

"Anytime. We're friends, aren't we?"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

As she approached the girls dorm, her mood feeling less suffocated after time with Syo-kun she heard someone call out to her.

"Sora!" Subaru stood up from where he had been sitting for who knew how long on the steps. "Nanami-san told me you'd left," he ran up to her with an unreadable expression.

"I needed to tell you," he took a deep breath. "I've decided to join HEAVENS."

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ


	12. Your Trial Will Expire in 90 Days

**Sora** **天**

"Sora?" She barely noticed when Syo-kun poked her cheek. That being said, she had barely noticed anything since the moment Subaru had shared his decision with her the previous night. _He did it to protect me, I just know it_.

"Sora, lunch started a while ago, did you not hear everyone leave?"

She blinked, unable to speak. _I don't deserve to speak after everything I've done to Subaru._

Her frustrations leaked down her cheek, and she didn't bother hiding them. Syo-kun had seen her cry before, so what was the point?

"Hey, Sora? Do you want to walk with me?"

She didn't know, but allowed herself to be helped up from her seat and guided outside A Class, one of his lean arms positioned around her shoulders.

And then they were outside, walking along the path that led to the gazebo in silence.

"I… heard what happened to Subaru this morning." His blue eyes shone with sympathy. "Hyūga-sensei told us he had chosen to leave for a few months because of certain circumstances."

She nodded weakly.

"When does he leave?"

She swallowed, "... tomorrow."

Syo-kun's eyes widened. "Isn't your audition tomorrow?"

 _Oh._

In truth, she'd completely forgotten about the Prince of Fighting audition. Compared to losing her brother, it really didn't seem important.

"... I won't go."

The pair of them stopped walking.

"No way," he told her flatly. "You can't."

"Subaru-"

"Isn't gonna be very happy if you start denying your own happiness because of him." Syo pointed out. His expression softened when she lowered her eyes back to the path.

"Look Sora," he started. "Obviously something really big happened yesterday after you met with your aunt. If Subaru isn't gonna be there for you for a while then it's natural to get upset; my brother Kaoru did the same when I had to move away to come here."

She bit her lip. Why was she upset? Because Subaru was leaving her? Because she needed him around? Or because he was going to be performing without her?

"He wouldn't want you to miss this opportunity, Sora," he told her gently. "Think about how excited about it you were!"

"... I- I know."

"And don't you think Subaru would feel kinda bad if you didn't go, on his behalf?"

"... He would."

Syo-kun placed his hands on her shoulders, coaxing the answer out of her, "Then…?"

She smiled weakly. "...I'll, um… I'll give it a go?"

He flashed her a bright smile. "Good girl!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Subaru** **スバル**

"Look who it is." Eichi smirked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Subaru clenched his fist at his side. Through gritted teeth he managed to keep his temper from exploding entirely.

"Eichi," his voice was tense. "Where is Ootori-san?"  
"Hehhh~" Eichi mused. "What a cold way to address your uncle." When Subaru said nothing, he spoke again. "I don't see your cute sister with you. Could it be I scared her away?"  
 _Don't say anything. It means nothing to him anyway._

With a smile that seemed more like a grimace, Subaru shrugged. "She told me she was going to a HAYATO concert with her friend this afternoon."

" _HAYATO?"_ The voice came from Eiji, who joined them in the vestibule with his usual friendly warmth, "Does Sora-chan like HAYATO?"

Subaru hesitated, but nodded. "She listened to him a lot in hospital. He kept her going. That and Prince of Fighting."

Eiji beamed. "Hyūga Ryuya is amazing! He's one of my role models!"

His enthusiasm reminded Subaru of his sister, and his grimace softened into a tepid smile. "Sora too."

"Is she coming back soon, Subaru-kun? I didn't get a chance to talk to you both the last time you were here."

"More importantly," Eichi interrupted. "You've made a decision?"

Subaru straightened up. "I'll do it-"

"Excellent!" The booming voice of Raging Ootori rumbled through the room, making Subaru flinch. "I knew you'd make the right decision."

" _But_ ," Subaru continued, annoyed by the arrogance of his uncle, who stood atop one of the staircases chewing his cigar smugly. "I have conditions."

"HA!" The former idol chortled, "Look at you, trying to act grown up. Do I need to remind you of last time?"

Ignoring the threat, Subaru continued. "You've said something about an idol group that _doesn't exist yet_ , with three members, one of whom isn't even here, and you want me to put not only my future, but _my sister_ on the line without any conditions on your part?" Ootori seemed amused, "Humour me then. What are these… _conditions?_ "

Subaru took a deep breath. "This is a trial run. Three months. I'll train. I'll give it my all. But if it seems like you're just doing this to control me and my sister and not to focus on our progress in the industry, I'm out. And then you leave me and Sora alone to make our own decisions about our music."

Ootori went to speak, but Subaru kept going, not giving the older man a chance to threaten his way out of the demands just yet, "Also, Sora gets to stay at Saotome Academy while I'm here. And you continue to support her… _financially_."

A few moments passed. Ootori raised his eyebrow, "Is that all, Prince Subaru?"

He nodded, ignoring the remark.

Ootori held the cigar stub between his fingers, studying his nephew. "Very well. A three month trial. You will be submitted to harsh training, and expected to give it one-hundred-and-ten percent, without complaint. Is that understood?"

Subaru nodded, "Understood."

"Good. And another thing - did I not already tell you that you would be the third member HEAVENS? "

The older man gestured to something behind him. "Come and introduce yourself."

Footsteps echoed from the top of the staircase and a boy - no older than twelve or thirteen - emerged, winking at him.

" _Yoroshiku ne!_ " He chirped, not without a chilled undertone. "Mikado Nagi _desu_."

As the boy descended the staircase, Ootori kept talking, "Mikado is my youngest idol. And the most talented in my agency."  
Subaru saw Eichi's jaw tighten at his father's dismissal, but Nagi seemed pleased with the praise. Now on the ground level, he bounced in front of Subaru with a grin. "Hehhh~ So you're Subaru-senpai. Nice to meet you!" He lowered his voice, grey eyes glinting dangerously. " _I'll be nice to you since we're in the same group, but don't think for one moment you could match my talent."_

Just like that he stepped back, flashing another smile. "I look forward to working with you!"

Eichi scoffed. "Don't pretend to be nice Nagi-kun. It's creepy."  
Nagi went to retort back but Subaru had completely tuned out.

 _These are my bandmates?_ Just how was he supposed to make music that resonated with others when he had to work with such arrogant, _cruel_ people?

It was only the thought of Sora, and protecting her that stopped him from walking away there and then.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Sora** **天**

"Sora, I'll take this side and you take that side!" Syo-kun yelled, bolting towards the left side of the stage, leaving Sora to wonder how on earth she'd manage to push through the crowd of confused HAYATO fans in order to corner Natsuki… no, _Satsuki_.

He'd hijacked HAYATO's show around the time that the pro-idol had lost his microphone during the first half of his new song (which was a bit too bouncy and kiddish for Sora's liking). This song though, the one that Satsuki was singing with an almost murderous intent, _this_ sounded good.

She searched the scene for Haruka who had also disappeared to help with the rescue effort. HAYATO was frozen to the spot, whether dumbfounded or in shock from his failed concert she didn't know, but despite the interruption by Satsuki there was no malice in his eyes.

The rain poured over the audience, soaking her favourite sweater and chilling her to the bone. Sora peeled away silver hair from her face, slick from the downpour. Syo-kun had said earlier at the cafe that Satsuki came into being when Natsuki took off his glasses; which had been crushed under the foot of a skittish fan somewhere beneath them.

She did her best to push through the crowd, exhaling when she got to the other side right in front of the stage steps. To think she'd come here at Haruka's insistence that it would take her mind off of things… and then this had happened. Why couldn't things be simple any more?

Climbing the steps, she spied her mark still belting out his song with fervour. On the other side of the stage was Haruka; she held Natsuki's shattered glasses - now lensless from the damage. The composer was slowly making her way towards Satsuki, her face heavy with concentration as each footstep brought her closer to her target.

 _Come on,_ Sora urged her friend. _You're almost there Haru-chan._

Haruka was almost upon him, until Satsuki spun around with a smug grin and, in one fluid motion, swept Haruka off her feet and into his arms; glasses falling to the ground, forgotten.

One of his arms wrapped around her waist, holding the composer close as he studied her face, utterly bemused before he leaned downwards, his intent towards Haruka clear.

Sora bolted forward, intending to step in before things went too far but something grabbed her arm, pulling her to a halt.

"Leave it to me," Syo-kun whispered into her ear. "I've got a plan."  
Before she could reply he had charged forward whilst Satsuki's back was to him; shoving a Piyo-chan inspired hat with sunglasses attached, onto the head of the taller man.

A moment and then…

"Huh? Nanami-san?" His fingers were still enclosed around Haruka's wrist and Natsuki regarded her with utter confusion.

Syo-kun sighed in relief. Taking that as a sign things were safe now, Sora rushed over to join them all.

Natsuki's expression lit up. "Syo-chan! Sora-chan!"

The two of them watched him warily and he raised his eyebrow quizzically. "What's wrong?"  
He seemed so confused; his innocence returned at last, that Sora couldn't repress her erupting laughter, which only served to confuse Natsuki more.

Syo-kun didn't seem pleased with his taller friend at all. He grabbed Natsuki's arm and began to drag him away. "Let's go!" he harrumphed.

"Why?!"

"Just move, _now_!"  
Sora, still giggling madly, made a move to follow them, but upon hearing Haruka shriek her blood ran cold and she spun back around…. In time to see as her friend lost her balance and barrelled into her, sending them both flying.

Luckily for Haruka, a pair of strong arms pulled her upwards, but Sora received no such luck; stumbling backwards she crashed into the ground onto her side, the impact leaving her winded and gasping for air.

No matter how many breaths she tried to slow and control, the pounding of her heart refused to slow. Curling up in a ball, eyes closed, she tried to focus but nothing was working. Hot tendrils ensnared her chest, and she cried out in pain.

"Sora?" A hand fell on her back and she whimpered, still desperate for air.

"Call 119!" Syo-kun's voice echoed across the now empty carnival park. Sora whimpered again, more desperate than ever.

"N… N…. No!" she gasped, eyes flying open with new panic. Her hand was against her throat as though it would help with her breathing; chest still forcing ragged breaths, her brow sweating from the effort.

"I…. can….. d….d...do….th...th...this…." She refused to go back to the hospital again. It was her _duty_ as both a sister, and a wannabe-idol to get stronger: this was her test. _Plus_ , the dark voice inside her whispered. _If you die, at least Subaru will be free._

The cold clung to her, its grip tightening around every muscle in her body, leeching away her energy. Her lungs were lead in her chest and each struggled breath became more and more painful.

Dizziness shrouded her mind, rendering the pain in her chest further and further away. Black dots riddled her vision.

 _Am I dying?_

She felt so light-headed that breathing seemed less and less important. Then, just as her vision was almost completely swarmed with black, her chin was tilted back and her nose was pinched; something warm pressed over her lips, flooding her lungs with air. _Wonderful wonderful_ _air!_

Sora wished she could open her eyes but her body was trembling under the pressure of her heart.

The warm sensation over her mouth would gift her with air, drawing back every few seconds before continuing. She lost all track of time, grabbing onto this opportunity to learn how to breathe by herself again.

With the assistance of the lovely warmth, her chest slowly lightened, heartbeat slowly settling back down into its usual pace.

"Can you hear me? Sora!"

Finally she opened her eyes, roused by her friend's voice.

Four faces peered down at her - some closer than others. Syo-kun, Haruka, and Natsuki stood over her anxiously, while another strangely familiar face was so close to her, she could feel their warm breath on her face.

Ichinose Tokiya?!

Oh, no wait… this was HAYATO.

Wait a sec…

" _HAYATO?!_ "

She threatened to collide her forehead into the idol out of shock, but he veered out of the way just in time. That warmth from before…? The thing that had helped her find her breath…?

Her heart skipped a beat as her mind processed everything.

It had been rescue breathing right... ? A kiss.

Suddenly flustered, Sora found herself unable to say anything. HAYATO had… in order to help her…  
" _A-a-arigatou g-gozaimashita!_ I'm- I-I'm so sorry you had to do that!"

He offered her a hand up which she took gratefully. The others immediately swarmed around her, checking if she was okay. By the time she looked around to thank the idol again, he had already disappeared.

"I'm so sorry, Sora-chan!" Haruka wailed.

She shook her head. "It's fine. It was an accident."

"Are you sure we shouldn't take you to the hospital just in case, Sora-chan?" Natsuki asked. Syo-kun nodded in agreement. "It's a good idea."

Sora smiled reassuringly, "I don't want to cause anymore trouble. I'm fine now, I promise. I just had a hard time catching my breath."

Her three friends exchanged hesitant looks but ultimately her reassurance won out.

"Okay then," Syo-kun said. "Just take it easy for the rest of the day, okay?"  
She nodded, pleased that she'd managed to recover herself for the first time. It was a sign right? She was getting stronger!

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Subaru** **スバル**

Subaru flopped onto his new four-poster bed that had been provided for him within the Ootori Mansion; body completely spent from the 'warm-up' Eichi and Nagi had suggested they do as a way of seeing how they worked together. The answer to that question… far from good.

He hadn't thought to pack any of his things before he left, so his clothes and laptop were all still in his dorm room at Saotome Academy - Eiji had said he'd try to sort him out with anything he needed as soon as possible. However, he did have his phone and he pulled this out now, checking the messages to see if Sora had sent anything.

He had hurt her by leaving. Maybe making her suffer more by her frustrations towards herself rather than towards him. But while she seemed to be under the impression that he felt obligated to look after her and step up on her behalf again and again, he really didn't mind. She was his sister, and he loved her. It wasn't as though his support was unreciprocated either - just how many times had her optimistic behaviour kept him going when he felt lost? But he'd never sat down and explained just how she helped him as much as he helped her… He felt regret at not reassuring her more often. The next time he saw her, he'd do much better to make her feel more confident in herself.

 **One missed call.**

 **Dial 707 for voicemail.**

The number wasn't Sora's, but Syo's. Had something happened?

He punched in the three digits and held the phone to his ear, his heart quickening as he anticipated bad news.

" _Subaru, it's Syo. Sora didn't want me to tell you but I thought you should know just in case. She had a little fall at the HAYATO concert this evening… and she got into a bit of trouble._

… _Actually… it looked really bad… she was having trouble breathing but refused to go to hospital…. If HAYATO hadn't stepped in with mouth-to-mouth, it would have been really bad… Anyway, despite all that she's totally fine. I made her go to her room and made sure she took her medication. I don't know the circumstances about why you left or where you are, but I just wanted to tell you that I'll look out for Sora while you'll gone. I'll keep her safe, I promise - on my honour! So um… that was all… I should go now. See ya later!"_

Before the voicemail had concluded with a **beep!** Subaru was already on his feet, stuffing his phone into his jacket pocket and marching out of his bedroom door, heading down one of the grand staircases that led to the front door.

He heaved on the heavy doors, but they refused to budge.

"Huh?"

His confusion was short-lived however when a voice startled him from his trance.

"And where do you think you're going?" Eichi asked. "It's a little suspicious to be trying to leave this late at night, isn't it Nagi?"

"Let him run away," the younger boy sniffed. "The practice today was a disaster."

Subaru took a deep breath. "Look, Sora had an accident today and I know I promised I'd stay here for three months but this is really important and _I need to see her_."

Eichi held up a hand, signalling for him to hush. "Perhaps you don't understand. Your sister is at Saotome Academy. With Shining Saotome. You think we'll let you waltz over to the enemy camp whenever your sister sneezes? Think again."

Subaru bit his tongue hard to stop him from losing his temper. The metal tang of blood filled his mouth as he silenced his rage.

"She's. My. Sister."

Eichi laughed, turning his back. "Not if you're with us and she's with them."  
Nagi followed suit, poking his tongue out at Subaru before disappearing.

He slumped against the door, exhausted. Not being able to check on Sora, to see with his own eyes how she was doing… It was torture… he felt… _suffocated_.

They couldn't keep him confined to the mansion forever! That was like keeping him a prisoner.

 _The moment these doors unlock, I'll go to see her._ With his vow the only thing keeping him sane, he wobbled back to his feet and returned to his room, sending a text to his sister riddled with tired typos to call him when she had time.

The silk coverlets did very little to soothe him, when all he could think of was that voicemail. Mouth-to-mouth? HAYATO?

Then he realised it…

 _HAYATO… did THAT… to MY SISTER?!_

He knew it was standard procedure when someone couldn't breathe, but… that didn't mean it couldn't feel weird, right?

He sighed, rolling over onto his other side. "I hope I didn't make a mistake."

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ


	13. Lessons in Sincerity

**Sora 天**

Today was her Prince of Fighting audition! After having it rescheduled to the day after the concert due to an overflow of applicants, she was now ready to give it everything she had. Physically she felt fine too - she couldn't feel any side effects of her accident the day before, although she could almost hear her brother's voice warning her not to push her luck and to take it easy.

She had shyly agreed that morning to meet Syo-kun at the front of the main school building after a phone call asking how she was going to get to the auditions.

"I'm… not really sure," she had admitted. "Maybe I could walk? It's not far is it?"  
"No way, Sora!" He had protested. "You have to save all of your energy for the audition! Just leave it to me 'kay?"

She had been in one of the practice rooms, going over one of her old routines to calm her nerves. She was wearing the white daisy dress that Syo-kun had treated her to the day they'd gone shopping, and her silver-blonde hair had been let loose from it's usual bunches, falling over her shoulders the way Syo-kun had styled it the first time.

It was a surprisingly comfortable dress, and she'd loved the way the skirt swooshed when she had practised her twirls… like she was a real idol in a costume.

As she made her way down the hallway towards the front of the building, she spied two figures - one was the familiar figure of Haruka, while the other taller figure was turned away, his entire demeanour dismissive of whatever Haruka was talking about.

She quietly inched forward, but they made no acknowledgement of her presence. Something felt wrong about the encounter - Haruka sounded timid. What were they talking about?

"It has nothing to do with you." The voice of Ichinose said coldly. "Please don't bring that up again."

Haruka stepped forward and Sora could sense the concern in the composer's voice, "B-But…!"

"It's a nuisance." Ichinose stated, turning to walk away. Haruka stared after him dumbfounded which allowed Sora to get a hold of herself. She started forward, her calm energy from her practice now gone, and she felt anger bubble up.

"Hey! Ichinose! Just a second!"

The young man paused and regarded her with the same unfeeling eyes. It was the first time Sora had really taken the time to look at him, and he seemed so sad… but that didn't excuse his manners, or lack of.

Then again…. He really did look like HAYATO… The memory of the concert aftermath was still fresh and she shook her head violently to stop herself from thinking about the idol who had helped her breathe again.

 _Focus, me!_

She pointed at him. "I don't know what the two of you were talking about," she glanced at Haruka who seemed dazed at her intervention. "But that was pretty cold! _It has nothing to do with you… It's a nuisance…_ " she did her best to mimic his tone but Ichinose remained unresponsive so she continued her lecture. "Haruka sounded _worried_ about you! I know you've probably got a lot to live up to since your twin is HAYATO but that's no excuse to act so dismissively of people who want to support you!"

Still unresponsive, she went a step further. "Ichinose Tokiya! You need to live life with your heart! So whatever is making you feel lost - confront it with your heart and don't avoid your true feelings!"

She could have sworn she saw his eyes widen just slightly, but she quickly realised what she had done and covered her face, embarrassed… What she said wasn't wrong but… _she'd accidentally spouted her lines for the audition._

Then to further her humiliation she saw Syo-kun a little way up ahead, staring at her in bewilderment. While Ichinose might not realise what she had just said, Syo-kun was an entirely different story - she'd practiced her lines to him after all…

Her cheeks burning she garbled a quick, "Oh-look-it's-Syo-kun-gotta-go-bye!" Speeding towards her friend, she didn't hear the target of her speech sigh or mutter. "What a weird girl."

Sora offered Syo-kun a nervous grin as they made their way out of the building towards the school gates. Neither of them brought up her outburst with Ichinose. A taxi was parked on the curb, waiting for them.

"You'll be great, Sora!" He reassured her as he held the door open for her to slide into the backseat. "You'll be the perfect sister for Hyūga-sensei!"

"I sure hope so," the butterflies in her stomach only growing as the cold seat leather chilled her to the bone.

Syo-kun joined her, shutting the car door behind him and signalling to the taxi driver that they were good to go. When the young man caught sight of her shivering in nothing but a dress he sighed, but stripped off his own jacket to throw over her shoulders.

"It's way too cold for June," he grumbled.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Subaru スバル**

He had managed to slip away whilst Raging Ootori, Nagi, and Eichi had gone to eat out for the evening for a HEAVENS meeting, claiming that he was feeling sick from their practice that day.

So he had been left to recover in his room alone.

Or so he had thought.

When he'd tried the front door again it was still locked and no amount of force would make it budge.

"You need to press the switch first, Subaru-kun," someone told him, causing him to jump. When he scanned the lobby he saw Eiji smiling kindly from one of the staircases.

Sure enough there was a green switch that he hadn't seen before, perhaps because the dark hid it so well. He eyed Eiji suspiciously. "Why are you helping me?"

The other boy took it in his stride. "It's not as though you want to run away, is it? You just want to check up on your sister, right? I watched some of your practice today and you did make a _lot_ of mistakes - but you were worried and that's why you couldn't concentrate."

Subaru blinked, surprised. "And so…?"

"So if checking on your sister helps you with your HEAVENS work, then it seems silly to not allow you to see her."

Subaru turned back towards the door, this time hitting the green switch before pushing against the wood. The door opened easily. Unhesitating, he propelled himself forward into the evening air. "Thanks, Eiji!"

 _I'm coming Sora!_

But no sooner had he thought it, he felt something hit his face.

A raindrop.

The world wasn't going to make this easy for him.

 **Sora 天**

" _Onii-san_! You need to live life with your heart! So whatever is making you feel lost - confront it with your heart and don't avoid your true feelings!"

Her words echoed throughout the silent audition room, where she was stood in front of three people. The director, the casting director, and the main star himself: Hyūga-sensei.

Hyūga-sensei began to chuckle heartily.

Was that… good?

"Excellent!" He laughed, "You're exactly what I pictured for my little sister!" The other directors stared at him, their faces a mixture of shock and relief, for reasons that had spread as rumours beyond the audition room while she waited anxiously for the past few hours.

Supposedly, there had been many favourites to pluck the role before the day was done, but all of them had failed as the Prince of Fighting himself had turned each down.

As the last audition of the day, and a newcomer to boot, Sora wasn't exactly the vision of a cutesy little sister that the casting director had sought, but clearly she had done something right to impress the one man no one else could.

"What's your name again?" Hyūga-sensei asked, reaching for her audition application that was rested on the table in front of them.

She answered the question earnestly, not quite believing her luck. "Shimono Sora _desu._ I'm a student from Saotome Academy, Hyūga-sensei!"

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Shimono…? Ah, are you by chance Subaru-kun's twin sister?"

She nodded, heart about to burst in pride on behalf of her twin. "Yes!"

He grinned. "Then this is even better! We had some others from S Class audition here too, but they had nothing on you - I'll be telling Shining Saotome all about this."

She didn't dare hope. "Hyūga-sensei?"

He stood, clapping, and signalling to the others to do the same. She blushed.

The casting director spoke up, the words she had been dying to hear. "Congratulations, Shimono-san - you've got the part!"

 **Subaru スバル**

"Ah~" Subaru paused, doubling over as he panted. All of his extra stamina training seemed to have some use at least. Only a few more blocks to go and then he'd be at the gates of Saotome Academy. He'd managed to get a bus to cover most of the city, but eventually he needed to get out and take the rest of the way on foot.

So he'd been sprinting with breaks in between for fifteen minutes - had the school really been so far away? He'd felt the distance between him and Sora with every exhausted footstep in her direction, which only served to make his efforts more frantic.

The rain hadn't helped him either. He was chilled to the bone, completely soaked, and his entire body felt stiff with fatigue.

"Just… a bit… more…" He started to run again, going no further than a few steps when he felt his ankle give out and he cried out in pain - slamming into the pavement of the empty street. The pain as he pushed himself upright again almost caused him to black out, but he refused to give up so easily.

Subaru's efforts were in vain however, as each futile attempt to stand only caused him to fall back to the ground, his ankle screaming with every try.

How long had he been there? Ten minutes? Fifteen? Adrenaline was causing his head to pound, but despite his own circumstances, all he could think about was getting to the school before his uncle returned to the mansion with his bandmates in-tow.

"Shimono-san?"

Subaru looked to the source of the voice, and his eyes widened.

Ichinose Tokiya stood, one hand holding up an umbrella while the other rested on the open door of the taxi he had emerged from.

It was strange. Subaru thought his old classmate seemed… _concerned._

They hadn't really spoken to each other during their time in school, so it amazed Subaru that the other man even recognised that it was him.

"Ichinose-san," he replied through gritted teeth. "How are you?"

Ichinose-san shook his head in disapproval, leaving his umbrella to go and help Subaru. While he put Subaru's arm around his neck and hauled him upwards, Subaru was still shivering madly, "I think… I m-must h-have sprained my ankle, or s-something…"

Ichinose-san sighed, noticing the the other boy's mud-splattered clothes that were also drenched.

"You need to go to the hospital," he said. "I can take you."

"N-No!" He protested as Ichinose-san guided him to sit in the taxi, "I came all this way to see Sora - I'm going to the academy!"

Ichinose-san folded his umbrella and then slipped into the seat next to him, shutting the door behind him. He regarded Subaru with quiet curiosity. "I heard you left the school."

"For a few months" Subaru explained, ignoring his throbbing ankle. "For weird family circumstances that I can't really explain but it means I can't visit Sora so this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity so _please take me to the school._ "

 **Sora 天**

Sora was still beaming from her audition as she watched the rain patter down her bedroom window pane, obscuring the outside view.

 _"Congratulations Sora - you've got the part." Her heart dropped and she stared at the casting director. "W-what?!"_

 _"ALRIGHT, SORA!" Someone burst into the room, smothering her in a huge bear hug. When they pulled away she felt the blood rising to her cheeks as she realised it had been Syo-kun, who was still grinning at her._

 _He turned to face_ _Hyūga-sensei and flashed his idol a huge smile, "You picked the right girl, sensei!"_

 _His teacher regarded him, his face amused. "Did I now? I'm glad you approve, Syo."_

 _Syo-kun blushed, his eyes bright._

 _Sora bowed to them all. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm so, so, so, so grateful for this opportunity! I won't let you down - I promise!"_

She giggled, still giddy from the day's events. She couldn't wait to tell Subaru!  
Her phone was still switched off from last night's concert, and when she started it up she was surprised by the number of missed calls she had from-

"Subaru?!"

 **17 missed calls.**

 **8 new text messages.**

 **"Sora - Syo told me what happened at the concert - are you alright?!"**

 **"Sora, you're okay right? Please tell me your phone is switched on!"**

 **"Call me when you see this, okay? I'm worried!"**

 **"I tried to sneak out before but the door was locked - please tell me you're okay!"**

 **"I'm going to try again soon - I promise. Just be okay!"**

 **"I'm leaving now - please call me when you see this!"**

 **"I'm on the bus now. Why haven't you called me yet? I'm really worried Sora!"**

 **"Almost there, just getting out now - please wait for me outside your dorm! But wear something warm - don't freeze in the rain."**

Immediately she felt terrible. She knew that Subaru could get really anxious about her - and that was when he could see her and check up on her constantly. Who knew just how anxious he was when she was on the other side of the city?

Not knowing when the last text was sent, she quickly shrugged on her favourite hoodie and made her way out to the dorm entrance.

She was sat on the steps for almost ten minutes when she saw a figure in the night hobbling towards her with an umbrella as a makeshift crutch.

"Subaru?!" She rushed to meet him, the rain kissing her face as she went to her twin.

He was covered in mud, and his jeans were ripped and spotted with blood. Most worrying was his left ankle which he seemed to be keeping most of his weight off as he moved.

"What happened?" She asked, ducking under his arm so she could support his waist.

He grunted as he adapted to the shift in weight. "It's… just a sprain…"

His face was so pale, she needed to get him somewhere to dry as soon as possible.

"Come on," she said, panting as she heaved him along. "We can go to my room."

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

Sora had never been so thankful for the heater in her room before. The moment she opened the door they were hit by a blast of warm air that embraced their chilled bodies. She helped Subaru over to sit on the couch so that she could figure out what to do.

First, the clothes. He had to change.

However, even if she could find some of his own sweatpants and hoodies that were hand-me-downs, it wasn't like she had spare briefs for him.

But he couldn't stay in those clothes either!

"Gahhhh~!" She did the only thing that seemed plausible and dialed Syo-kun's number, already going red at what she was about to ask for.

"What's up, Sora?" Syo-kun sounded cheerful as he answered. _Not for long_ , Sora thought with regret.

 _Just ask for dry clothes. And maybe he'll read between the lines or…? No that would be weird. . But we can't buy any either! Then… maybe it'll be okay to leave him as it is?_

 _No! His jeans are totally soaked so everything else will be too… WHAT AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE!?_

She took a deep breath, reminding herself of all the inevitably embarrassing things Subaru had probably done on her behalf over the years.

"I need… I need…" She stuttered over the right words.

"You need…? Just tell me Sora."

"I NEED UNDERWEAR!" She blurted out. "N- Not for me! Obviously!" She gave a nervous laugh, too scared to listen for Syo-kun's reaction. "I need it for Subaru! Guy's underwear - he got soaked from the rain and he needs to change… But he can't wear mine, haha, _obviously_."

She wanted to punch herself for being so awkward.

"I can go and get some spare clothes from Subaru's room, if that will help?" Syo-kun offered after a long pause. "He didn't take any of his things away yet, did he?"  
"YES THAT!" She wanted this phone call to be over, "Th-thanks Syo-kun! We're in my room so, uh, please hurry!" She hung up, her face hot. Why hadn't she thought of that? All of Subaru's clothes were still in his room since he hadn't taken anything with him.

She went back to where her brother was still sprawled on her sofa, delirious with his eyes shut. Checking his forehead, it was as she feared. He'd caught a fever.

This would… complicate things for him most likely.

But what could she do? It wasn't as though she could just send him back to their uncle with a fever - and she wouldn't want to. They probably wouldn't care for him at all.

Fishing out a towel from her belongings, she knelt in front of him, still feeling a little shy. He needed to be dried off first.

She did her best to pull his hoodie over his head, and his t-shirt followed; chucking them on the floor beside her. Just as she draped the towel around him and was shyly figuring out how she should proceed, someone knocked at her door.

"Syo-kun!" She yanked open the door to find her friend, carrying a pile of Subaru's clothes. He followed her inside, blue eyes widening as they caught sight of her brother.

"What happened?" He asked, bewildered, plopping the clothes down on the armrest while Sora went back to drying her brother's arms and face.

"He… got caught in the rain on the way here… or something…" she said, ruffling Subaru's hair as she towelled it dry.

A hand found her wrist and she met Syo-kun's gaze.

"I can do the rest if you'd prefer," he said, blushing slightly as he said it. "It's probably more awkward for you… since he's your brother… and a guy…"

The mortification from their phone call had come back and she stuttered her thanks.

"When he's dried and dressed, you can put him in my bed," she said. "Be careful getting him over there - I think he sprained his ankle."

Syo-kun nodded, "But where are you going?" She had begun towards the door again.

"I'm gonna go and make some rice porridge for him."

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

Sora had… never actually made rice porridge before.

She'd always wanted to! Since she was always the one in bed sick, she'd received more than her fair share of Subaru-made rice porridge, but she'd never had the opportunity to learn how to make it.

Of course, she'd forgotten that part when she'd gone marching out the door earlier declaring her intentions to make it for her feverish twin.

Wasn't that what you did for sick people? It had slipped off her tongue instinctively. Now as she stood in the shared kitchen staring at the empty pot that she'd placed over the unlit stove, she realised her mistake.

She'd left her phone in her room, so she couldn't just search online for a recipe either.

Well… it couldn't be too hard to work out, right?

She went searching in the pantry for the rice - that much was okay to assume, wasn't it? It was called _rice_ porridge after all.

She heaved the large bag onto the counter, but before she could get any further someone called out to her.

"Sora-chan?" Otoya stifled a yawn as he padded into the kitchen, in sweatpants and a t-shirt - his hair damp from the rain that had turned to a drizzle outside.

Sora breathed a sigh of relief. Surely there would be no better person to help than the lovely, kind Otoya!

"You can help me make rice porridge, can't you Otoya?" She begged, rushing to bow in front of him. He blushed. "R-rice porridge? It's almost midnight Sora-chan."

She persisted, "Please! Subaru came to visit but he sprained his ankle on the way and now he has a fever because that idiot didn't think to take his coat with him before he left and as the big sister it's my duty to look after him but because I'm always sick I've always been the one 'taken care of' instead of 'taking care of' and I told Syo-kun I'd make rice porridge but I don't actually know how to so now-"

Otoya placed two hands on her shoulders and smiled warmly at her. "Take a breath, Sora-chan. It's okay. I can help."

He helped her to rinse the rice and made sure it had soaked for half an hour. While they waited Sora filled him in on everything that had happened - excluding the details about Raging Ootori of course.

"It must be tough for you two to be seperated," Otoya said. "Tell me if you need my help for anything, okay?"

Sora nodded, a small smile tugging at her mouth, "Thank you!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Syo-kun 翔くん**

"Sora~!" Subaru whined, slipping in and out of consciousness as Syo finished dressing him in sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt. As Sora had asked, her twin was now dry… but he was also very delirious.

"I'm not Sora - I'm Syo!" Syo told him, his pride hurt a little that he was being mistaken as a girl again. His next task was to get Subaru to bed - or maybe he should try and treat his ankle?

He opted to do the former first. He picked Subaru up completely, which was a little awkward given that the other boy was a bit taller than him, somehow managing to lift him across the room and tuck him into Sora's bed - leaving his ankle uncovered.

It was a little swollen, but it was nothing a little ice and rest wouldn't fix.

Oh… ice. He should have asked Sora to grab some from the kitchen…

"GAH!" He froze in place as something reach around his waist, hugging him closely. Subaru. Still delirious.

And… he was giggling?

" _Nee-san_ ," he sighed, ignoring Syo's attempts to push him back down into bed. "I _missed_ ~ you~"

"I'm not Sora!" Syo protested, still wriggling in Subaru's steel grip. How strong was this kid?

"Training at the mansion is _so hard_ ," Subaru mumbled. "They weren't kidding when they called him _Raging_ Ootori… I feel so tired all the time…"

"Huh?" Syo stopped moving and stared at Subaru, "What about Raging Ootori?"

"Sora~ You meanie~ He's our uncle, you can't forget family~ That's maybe… not the same for him though…" Subaru let go of Syo, flopping back so his head hit the pillow, "What kind of uncle threatens his family…? But don't worry _Nee-san_ , I'll protect you."

Syo was reeling. _What had he just heard?_

"We're back!" Sora chirped, bursting through the door carrying an ice pack from the infirmary, followed by Otoya who was carrying a tray laden with rice porridge, smile infectious.

Syo sighed. He could ask Sora about what he had heard later.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ


	14. Beginning Metanoia

**Subaru スバル**

夢

 _"Promise me… Subaru… that you'll look after your sister and… be happy…" The woman choked as she struggled to stay conscious, but her hand didn't loosen from around his wrist, and her eyes were wild and desperate as she stared at the small boy intently. "Promise me… Subaru… promise your mother…"_

 _His heart was screaming but the tears in his eyes would not fall as he watched his mother fight a losing battle. She had lost too much blood from the crash and he knew from the attending doctor's expression that he would soon be an orphan. His father had died instantly in the crash, but his mother had held on… had held on long enough… to tell him this?_

 _Sora was somewhere in this hospital… she didn't know that her mother was dying in a cold room a few floors beneath her._

 _He gripped his mother's hand with a new determination. "You can't leave us, Okaa-san!" He was trying his best not to cry, not to let his emotion ruin his voice, "You have to stay with us! You have to watch us sing!_ _You can't leave us. You can't leave us!"_

 _Okaa-san gave him a wan smile. "Sing to me now… my lovely Subaru… let me hear your voice one last time…"_

 _He hesitated at first but when she pleaded with her eyes he opened his mouth and began to sing the song she used to sing to them every night before bed - the song that ignited their passion for performance._

 _"On a spring day that still shines with grace_

 _Megumi de kagayaku haru no hi ni_

 _I brought you into this world._

 _anata o kono sekai ni tsurete kurukatta_

 _My silver angels_

 _watashi no gin no tenshi_

 _Red strings tangled_

 _akai himo ga karamatte iru_

 _Blessed by the sky._

 _sora ni shukufuku sa reru._

 _Bound by Pleiades_

 _Subaru de musuba rete iru_

 _Earth, Sky_

 _Chikyū, sora_

 _Yin, Yang_

 _Onmyō_

 _You are two_

 _futaridesuga_

 _But really one._

 _hontōni hitori_

 _Love and cherish each other_

 _Aishi, otagai o taisetsu ni shi_

 _As I love and cherish you._

 _anata o aishi, taisetsu ni shiteru_

 _My lullaby._

 _MAI RARABAI"_

 _He cheeks were wet with tears and he wiped them away with the back of his hand, his silver eyes never leaving the frail, battered body of his mother as the last of her strength drained from her body. When her eyes fell shut and her grip on his wrist finally loosened, he was left staring at her peaceful smile._

 _"Okaa-san…" The words were strangled as his body went numb. "I… I promise. I'll look after Sora. I promise. I-I… I love you, Okaa-san."_

夢

He woke in a cold sweat, heart pounding. This dream… it had been so long since he'd had it…. The last time had been the night after the summer festival when he and Sora had sung their own version of their mother's song.

Their mother had loved to compose songs - she would hum unique melodies to them as children all the time. But there had always been her one lullaby - _My Lullaby_ \- that they begged her to sing again and again.

It was a hopeful, lovely song about the day they had been born; their mother poured her heart into it.

After her death, singing it became painful… so Subaru had altered it, changing the joy of his birth to the sorrow of their mother's death and it had become _Our Lullaby._

Yet when it came down to singing it at the summer radio festival the previous year, the memories of being with his mother in her last moments - singing the song that carried the same melody as the one he had sung to her as she passed away… he couldn't do it.

And whenever he heard his own singing voice, he was reminded of that moment. His voice was the last his mother had heard. He would never forget his promise, but when he tried to sing her song that day it had felt as though his heart had been torn out; there was a crushing weight on his shoulders - one that he couldn't share with anyone. This was his burden.

He couldn't explain his feelings to Sora. It was… complicated.

He sat up, ignoring the dull throbbing of his ankle. It was then that he noticed for the first time the darkness of the room he was in - except for a small lamp that gave the room a soft orange glow. He made out two figures sitting on the sofa, with their backs to him, murmuring quietly so as not to disturb him.

Sora.

Syo.

"I can't believe you found out that way." Sora was saying, her voice low - with a trace of guilt.

"Is it true?" Syo asked her, and Subaru could see the boy's usually energetic expression was filled with concern. "Are you really related to Raging Ootori?"

Subaru's blood turned to ice within his veins. Syo knew? How? He strained his ears to hear the conversation better.

"He's our uncle, from our mother's side," Sora said bitterly. "He's… unpleasant, to say the least."  
Syo reached across to squeeze her hand, "Did something happen? Does this have anything to do with that time I found you crying about your hospital fees after you went off to see your aunt that day?"

"It- Well…" The temptation was present in her voice, and for a second Subaru thought she might reveal how they had been blackmailed.

Instead she just sighed and shook her head. "No. It really was just about feeling a bit down with the cost of it all. Thank you for looking out for me, Syo-kun."

"Anytime," he replied, getting to his feet. "Maybe you should try and get some sleep? It's getting late - we can talk more in the morning, right?"

She nodded. " _Un_ , thanks for helping me with Subaru."

"Like I said," Syo grinned, patting her head. "Anytime!"

 **Sora 天**

Just as Syo-kun placed his hand on the door handle, there was raucous pound on the door that made the floor quake.

Sora jumped, the harsh noise making her heart plummet as someone hammered away at her door.

 _BANG BANG BANG._

"Were you expecting someone?" Syo-kun asked, tense.

She shook her head.

 _BANG BANG BANG._

Syo-kun growled his disapproval and wrenched open the door. "Oi!" He yelled, his voice clearly irritated. "What's your problem?!"

"Hehhh~," Sora's blood chilled from the voice that spoke. "Such ugly language from such a cute boy."

Syo-kun was fuming. "Just who are you anyway?"

"Ootori Eichi," he smirked, pushing past Syo-kun so that he could stare at Sora; glasses glinting. She felt her legs turn to jelly as he studied her with a sadistic smile. "It's nice to see my cute cousin again, Sora."

Syo-kun came and stood between them, facing off with Eichi with his own fierce glare, "Leave her alone."

Eichi eyed him, completely bemused, "Interesting. You've done well to get yourself another protector, Sora - not that a _chibi_ like him could stop me from doing anything." 

The fear had her hands curled into fists; fingernails digging into her skin as she fought to stay standing.

"Please leave me alone, Eichi," she whispered.

He chuckled, "I'm here to bring back that worthless brother of yours since he decided to run away back to you."

She opened her mouth but before she could speak -

"I didn't run away, Eichi," Subaru said tiredly. Sora turned to see him limping out of bed.

Eichi's eyes narrowed when he also noticed his limp.

"You're limping… _How tragic_ … After you refused to sing, we decided to focus on the choreography first, _and now you have the audacity to get injured too_." Eichi scowled.

"I-I'll come back. Right now," Subaru swallowed. "Just leave Sora alone."  
The older man laughed coldly. "You don't get to make demands. Didn't you listen to my father - you sing, and we pay for Sora's exorbitant and selfish desire to stay out of the hospital. Yet here you are, refusing to sing, becoming unable to dance, and running back to your sister at the snap of her fingers… _I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you._ "

Sora's legs turned to jelly. Syo-kun caught her just in time. Her mind burned with a familiar sensation. Guilt. Only one word rattled through her head. _Selfish._

 _I'm pretty selfish,_ she realised. _I'm putting Subaru through so much. I… thought I could bear it since he told me it was okay to lean on him but… I guess I can't after all. Selfish… I'm so selfish…_

"Sora?" Syo-kun raised her head gently. "Are you okay? It's okay - I'll protect you!"  
She stared at him numbly. "Syo-kun?"  
He let her lean on him for support before glaring daggers in Eichi's direction.

"So you've been blackmailing my friends?! That's despicable - you're seriously the worst," Sora had never heard Syo-kun sound so livid. His voice was hard and icy, and his grip around her waist tightened protectively as he faced their intruder.

"What would Saotome say if he found out?"  
Eichi laughed. "What could he do? Subaru signed a contract - he's part of Raging Entertainment and _he's_ the one violating that contract and breaking the rules. I'm just enforcing them."

Subaru limped past them all, and Sora could see he was pale from the effort to move on his hurt ankle.

"Subaru-" He ignored her, stopping to regard Eichi suspiciously. "Are you coming?"  
Eichi smiled, "Of course." They made their way towards the exit, Syo-kun still with his arm around Sora as they watched Subaru hobble outside.

"Just so you know," they heard Eichi say. "We're taking the stairs, so hurry up. We've got a lot of time to make up for in dance practice since you disappeared."

Subaru sounded monotone. " _Hai_."

Something warm gently wiped under her eyes. It was the first time that night she'd noticed she was crying, and Syo-kun was staring at her, eyes sympathetic.

"He can't do that - Subaru needs rest!" Her entire body was trembling. If her brother put too much pressure on his ankle he could seriously injure himself and that could cause permanent damage in the future! Eichi probably knew that, and didn't care. Which meant that his fate in HEAVENS had already been decided - what kind of hellish punishment would he endure upon his return?

"I have to go with them!" She told her friend, wriggling out of his hold and heading towards the door, only to have someone pull her back.

Syo-kun.

"You can't Sora," he told her. "This was too intense for us too handle. We need help."

She shook her head, "I can handle it. This is all happening because I wasn't strong enough - so I have to show that I'm strong enough now!"

Syo-kun disagreed. "It's too late for that. These guys are your only surviving family, right? You have to _live_ with these people while they abuse you and exploit you," his voice softened. "You don't deserve any of this Sora. Neither does Subaru. So let's go to someone who can help us."

"Shining Saotome?"

He nodded. "Shining Saotome." 

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 _"Miss Shimono. Mister Kurusu._ You are finally here." Shining Saotome said solemnly, sitting behind his desk looking grim.

Sora blinked. "Were you expecting us?"  
"Nothing gets past me, _Miss Shimono_ ," he said. "Ootori Eichi can't burst into my school without my knowing."  
Syo-kun stepped forward. "We wanted to ask yo-"

"If I would help you overcome your toughest tribulation to date?" The headmaster prompted, to which Syo-kun nodded.

The older man got up, "I won't help you."

Sora's heart sank, "Wh-why?"

"-Yet." He smiled cheekily at her, "You must face this trial with your full strength and determination, _Miss Shimono_. Only then can you grow from it and become an idol that Japan deserves."

He was proposing something… wasn't he?

"Ootori and I have been rivals for many years," he continued, standing to stare at the framed record that hung on his wall with a golden plaque underneath that read _Due to Love_ , his famous record-breaking debut song that began his rivalry.

"His ways of handling his trainees are often extreme - and sometimes incredibly harsh on the people there. But he always gets the results he wants. As you might expect from a man who debuted with _Love is Dead_ , he doesn't understand the driving force of amateur singers such as yourselves. A brother who wants to protect his sister. A sister who doesn't want to be a burden anymore."  
Sora swallowed. "Then how do I save Subaru?"

Shining Saotome met her eyes, a mysterious smile tugging at the older man's lips. "Who can say?"

Her shoulders sagged. "But," he said, "If you work hard on your performance skills - dancing and singing; while also opening your heart and further developing your other relationships that you've made while attending my school - I might be able to do something then."

"It's almost time for the summer trip," Syo-kun realised. "Should she focus on those things when we go away?"

"What a nice idea, _Mister Kurusu_ ," the headmaster mused. "There's also the matter of your upcoming role in the next Prince of Fighting movie. If you can impress me this summer, _Miss Shimono_ , then I will help you and your brother."

A tiny bit of hope returned to her, "Do you mean it?"

Shining Saotome winked, "Who can say?"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ


	15. Syo-kun's Dilemma

**Sora 天**

 _"Let's go! Enjoy this legendary island!"_ Those had been the words of a very enthusiastic and semi-nude Shining Saotome before he plunged himself into the warm tropical water that glistened under the island sun. The time for the annual summer camp had finally come and the school had been brought to a wonderful tropical paradise. Sora could see in the distance the innumerable cottages that were dotted all over the place - some even built over the ocean with a view of the beach before them.

For Sora, she knew that this wasn't going to be a vacation for her. Much like her peers who had their own task of picking their debut partner very soon, she had decided to devote herself to following their headmaster's advice. She would train hard - she would push herself to be better until her vocals and choreography matched or even exceeded that of an S Class student - and then she _would_ find a way to get Subaru back to her, performing at her side where he belonged.

"Sora!" Tomo-chan waved at her. "You're sharing a cottage with Haruka and I! Let's go get moved in!"

Sora's heart soared when she heard that. _Roommates!_ Even if just temporary, she felt the excitement from her first day of Shining Academy flood back to her - for a few nights she could just feel like an ordinary girl. She couldn't wait!

"Y-yeah!" She said, not sure whether she should contain her excitement or not. Would that be weird?

She shrugged and skipped over to Tomo-chan. "I'll be the best roommate ever, I promise!"

The other girl laughed good-heartedly, "That's good to hear - as Haruka will tell you, I'll make more mess than the two of you combined." She linked her arm with Sora's and smiled. "Let's go and get Haruka."

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

They found Haruka looking a little lost with herself, whilst staring at the back of someone who could only be Ichinose as he moved away in the direction of the beach. Sora thought that she could see a trace of sadness behind those big golden eyes.

"Haruka!" Tomo-chan called out, waving to her the same way she had with Sora, "What are you doing? The cottage is over here."

Immediately the lost expression on her face disappeared and Haruka seemed relieved at the intervention.

" _Un!_ " She grabbed her suitcase and hurried to her friends.

Sora wanted to ask if Ichinose had been rude to her again, but remembering the composer's previous expression put the question to the back of her mind. She needed to focus on helping Subaru and the steps to their own debut.

Tomo-chan ushered them into the cottage they were meant to share and Sora gasped as she took in the interior.

Three beds were positioned cozily inside, with room for items on bedside tables. Overall the room was quite small, but at the back double doors opened out onto a small deck and balcony where you could sit around a small table together and talk over cold drinks as you took in the beach view.

Which was exactly what they did first. At Tomo-chan's insistence the three of them got changed into their newly bought bikinis. Sora, who had packed in a hurry and had never owned a bikini in her life, was kindly offered one of Tomo-chan's spares - that had been originally intended for Haruka, who had opted for a spaghetti-strap top and shorts instead. It was strange, to essentially be in a bra and underwear but for the beach to make it socially acceptable. Even so, she instinctively wrapped her arms around her chest, self-conscious of the fact that Tomo-chan was pulling off the look with extreme confidence, while Haruka had a girly charm that fit her chosen look too.

It made her nervous sometimes, that she wasn't pretty enough to be a successful idol. Subaru barely noticed but he'd always caught the gazes of girls - she'd noticed it at junior high together. Every so often one of their classmates would quietly ask to speak to him in private and a few minutes later they would be seen running away, crying.

 _"Why didn't you say yes?" Sora had asked him many times, whenever he told her later about those confessions._

 _"I just didn't feel the same," he would say. "I don't ever want to have to choose between spending time with my girlfriend or spending time with you. I'm just… not ready for that yet."_

Still, she couldn't help but feel like her looks - or lack of them - would damage their debut.

 _I should work on that as well while I'm here_. Satisfied with her resolution she allowed herself to relax as she sat around the table between Haruka and Tomo-chan, the summer sun kissing their skin.

Tomo-chan stretched upwards, "Isn't this the best?"

Sora nodded, taking a sip from her iced tea - the sun was shining, and they heard the gulls flying overhead calling out to one another as they no doubt scoured the island's visitors for food.

"It's amazing here," she agreed. She noticed Tomo-chan was transfixed on Haruka who had yet to acknowledge she had even spoken. The same lost eyes Sora had seen before were once again haunting the other girl who seemed completely out of it.

Tomo-chan tried again, "Haruka?"

The other girl gasped in surprise, and Tomo-chan smiled at her, "You're spacing out again."

"Sorry! Maybe I have a little jet-lag…" she sounded apologetic, fiddling with the straw poking out of her own cold drink.

"No, you're just a natural airhead." Tomo-chan informed her, not unkindly.

Haruka squealed in surprise. "What?"

Sora couldn't help but giggle. "Don't feel bad Haru-chan - I am too."

Tomo-chan stood, "I have to get going." She saluted at the pair of them. "A graduation audition meeting! I made a date with Yajima-kun. See you later!"

And just like that Sora and Haruka were left alone.

Haruka sighed, "Lucky… she already has a partner…"

Sora smiled sympathetically. "You haven't decided yet?"

The other girl nodded sullenly. "Who could I… write songs for?"

Five faces immediately flooded into Sora's mind. Otoya, Hijirikawa-san, Ren, Natsuki… even Syo-kun. Over the course of their time together those five had more than shown their admiration for the composer in front of her. Could she really not think of any of them?

Shaking her head, Haruka focused on Sora instead. "What about you, Sora-chan? How are your graduation plans going?"

Sora grinned. _Terribly. I have no idea if I can even graduate with Subaru at this rate_.

She opted to keep a positive outlook on things. "It's complicated at the moment with Subaru not here… but I'm going to work really, really hard. The principal said that if I did that and worked on my relationships with everyone here, he'd help me work with Subaru again."

She didn't mention anything about where her twin currently was. It seemed as though Haruka had enough on her plate without also adding her own worries.

Finishing up her tea, Sora stood, smiling apologetically at her friend. "I should probably go too - there's a lot I need to get done. Will you be okay by yourself, Haru-chan?"

She nodded. "Thank you, Sora-chan."

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

The island resort had its very own music studio - built and sponsored by Shining Saotome in the last 6 months. Although there wasn't enough room for every student to practise at the same time, it also provided extra instruments and portable stereos so that students could work on music in their cottages or at various locations on the island. Sora took one of these stereos and roamed the side of the beach until she caught sight of a small grove of trees off to one side that was perfect and secluded for her to focus.

Shining Saotome hadn't said specifically what to practise, so she figured she could warm up and try her choreography out again that she had done for her dance exam.

She took out her own precious copy of HAYATO's first album and let _Nanairo no Compass_ play, letting herself relax as his familiar voice hit her ears. Her previous choreography was embedded in her brain and instinctively she began to move, letting each phrase flow naturally. It wasn't until she realised how tired she was that she realised the song had ended, and she had zoned out.

"Let's do that one again," she muttered. She had a lot of work ahead of her.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Subaru スバル**

"Ah!" Pain flared up Subaru's ankle and wrist as he lost his balance and tried to direct most of the impact away from his ankle.

He had to have been doing this routine for three - no - four hours at the very least, but even after a day's ordered bed rest by HEAVENS' manager his ankle hadn't improved. On order by his uncle Subaru wasn't permitted any longer to get better, as learning the choreo to their debut song was top priority.

So far both Nagi and Eichi had recorded their parts for the song, but it was still incomplete. Subaru had yet to record his as the third voice of HEAVENS - something that the other two members constantly reminded him.

"That was sloppy, Subaru," Nagi told him, tapping Subaru with the tip of his shoe as a cue to get up. "Are you trying to make us fail?"  
Subaru shook his head, "It's just my a-"

"Your ankle," Eichi finished for him. "Which isn't our concern when we warned you not to leave the mansion. Take responsibility for your own failures." He adjusted his glasses, "You were already sloppy and desperately incapable before this little incident, and now you expect us to wait until _you're_ better so that _you_ can practise more comfortably? You are being oddly self-assured about your position here for someone who claims they'll do anything to protect their sister."  
Subaru hissed in pain and gritted his teeth as he managed to get to his feet, his ankle screaming in protest while his legs trembled under the pressure, coupled with the normal exertion of dancing for so long.

Nagi signalled to their assistant and once again the music began to play.

He hated that Eichi was right - how could he protect his sister if he was protesting about dancing in conditions he had inflicted upon himself? Subaru ignored the pain and tried once again.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

When he returned to his room later that evening he was surprised to see a thick, creamy envelope sitting on his desk, addressed to him in English letters.

 _MR SHIMONO_

Curious, he limped over to sit at his desk and carefully opened it up, surprised by the texture - was this parchment? The wax seal on the back confirmed his suspicions of the sender.

It was Shining Saotome. How did he know where to send it? Did that mean the headmaster also knew all about his situation? Had Sora revealed everything to him? Although knowing how influential the former idol was in the industry he wouldn't have been surprised if he just found out by himself.

 _"Mr Shimono,_

 _Usually this would be a letter informing you of your expulsion."_ His heart fluttered fearfully when he read those words, but he kept reading.

 _"However, it has come to my attention that you did not have a choice in deciding to move out of my school on temporary leave in order to work for Raging Entertainment. Usually, such actions would not be tolerated but an exception will be made due to your familial situation and ties to Raging Ootori."_

Subaru sighed in relief. If he had been expelled then everything would have been for nothing.

 _"However, such an exception does not come from the kindness in my heart. Enclosed is the the address I wish for you to send your future correspondences. They are a recording studio run by Yours Truly and I expect you to compose ten songs with your own vocal demos in preparation for the graduation audition of yourself and your twin sister. I understand that the two of you came to my school in pursuit of a dual idol debut. As you no doubt realised upon entering the academy, I only graduate pairs consisting of one composer and one idol - something that you tried to counter by entering the composer course at the beginning of the year. If you write the songs I have requested to my standard of one-hundred-and-ten percent, I shall ensure that you and Miss Shimono shall be the first dual idol audition graduation to take place at my school._

 _I expect the first five songs to arrive soon._

 _Shining Saotome_

Subaru re-read the letter, head throbbing. This was more than he ever could have hoped for. An assured chance at a graduation audition with Sora as idols? And all he had to do was compose ten songs for their debut?

He jumped up, wincing as he remembered his injury, and grabbed the laptop that Eiji had lended him from the end of his bed, having left his own in his dorm room at school. As his composition program booted up, adrenaline coursed through him. Just ten songs! Only ten songs and then the most powerful man in Japan's music industry would help him escape from this hell!

Not to mention...

Tugging open his desk, he found his small notebook already full of melodies that had popped into his head over the years. While he was at Shining Academy he had the opportunity to turn one of those melodies into a song that scored his group highly.

WE ARE ABSOLUTE.

Now he would write more songs. As many as it took.

"Wait for me Sora," he whispered. "We're almost there."

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Sora 天**

There was a schedule for summer camp events. Most were optional as students were encouraged to get to know their potential partners, but there was one that was compulsory - Ringo-sensei had delightedly told every student who had asked him, and now there was a strange buzz around the island.

Three words.

Unofficial Date Night.

Sora didn't understand, "What's an _'unofficial'_ date night?"

Ringo-sensei winked at her. "Romance between pairs is forbidden, but _technically_ if you were to ask someone you wanted to pair with to an unofficial date, it doesn't count, right?"

"This has you written all over it, Ringo," Hyūga-sensei joined them, a prominent frown on his face. "Saotome wouldn't approve."

Ringo-sensei pouted. "Ryūya! You're no fun - what's the point in trying to find a partner you can work well with if you can't test the waters a little?" He flicked his pink hair over one shoulder, "A bond between an idol and their composer should be like chemistry! Because then the music is passionate!"

Sora watched as Hyūga-sensei glared at his co-worker. "There are other ways to make music passionate without resorting to… _this_ …"

Ringo-sensei pouted again but said nothing. Sora took it as her chance to leave and grab some snacks from her room before returning to her practice spot. They'd been on the island for a few hours and everyone seemed to be settling in - she hadn't come across any of her other friends asides from Haruka and Tomo-chan. Not even Syo-kun.

Or maybe she'd jumped to conclusions.

As Sora passed the resort pool, she heard a familiar and much-loved voice.

"I can't believe this is the Headmaster's private island!" Syo-kun groaned happily as he stretched upwards, relaxing on his lounge chair.

"It certainly is a paradise on Earth, isn't it?" Natsuki sounded relaxed as he spoke.

"It's amazing!" Sora couldn't help herself and joined them with a smile on her face - aimed at Syo-kun in particular. It was him who had allowed her to find a potential solution to her situation after all.

"Sora-chan!" Natsuki sung. "It feels like ages since we last saw each other~"

"I feel the same way, _Na-chan_!" Sora quipped, secretly hoping her cutesy nickname wasn't too much.

Natsuki seemed beyond pleased with it. " _N-Na-chan?!_ _Uwa~_ That's a super cute nickname!"

"Right?!" Maybe it was because she hadn't seen him in a while, but suddenly Natsuki's attraction to cute things was rubbing off on her - not to mention she loved how she could play around like this. It did seem like it had been a while since she'd just had fun with her friends.

Although that wasn't her main focus on this camp.

"By the way," Syo-kun interrupted them, moving off his chair and gesturing for Sora to sit down instead. "Have you decided on your partner, Natsuki?"

The atmosphere suddenly turned very serious and the smile immediately left Natsuki's face. He didn't look at either of them as he took a sip from his drink.

"How about you, Syo-chan?" He deflected the question, not meeting either of their curious faces.

Syo-kun blushed, "I…"

" _Are~_ Is it a girl?" Natsuki teased.

Clearly, Syo-kun didn't appreciate that.

"What the hell? I asked you first!"

Natsuki smiled knowingly. "Well, recently there is someone I've been charmed by…"

Sora perked up, "Charmed by? Who is it?" Remembering earlier that day when Haruka had been worried about finding her own partner, she answered her own question.

"Someone who just might accept all of me." Natsuki left his answer ambiguous, and in the way he had phrased it, Sora was now positive he meant Haruka. 'All of me' could only refer to his Satsuki persona.

Syo-kun seemed to be thinking the same thing, as he didn't push his friend any further, and his azure eyes - usually so transparent to his feelings - were oddly blank.

"How about you Syo-kun?" Sora prompted, genuinely curious as to who her best friend wanted to graduate with. Truth to be told, she was a bit jealous of whoever he would pick. Asides from Natsuki, she'd come to consider herself as the person most close to him, but she knew a composer and idol had to share an unbreakable bond. A bond that was much stronger than that which she had already formed with him.

He blinked, "My partner? Uhhh… well, maybe…"

"You both want to pair up with Haru-chan don't you?" She asked them. Dancing around the subject was bringing an uncomfortable atmosphere to this conversation, and she didn't care for it.

Immediately Syo-kun went red. "W-what are you saying, Sora!?"

She shrugged. "Maybe you haven't realised but it is really obvious - even if I didn't already know that you had a crush on her." She felt a strange dull feeling in her chest when she spoke of Syo-kun's crush on the dainty composer girl. She made a mental note to remember to take her medication when she got back to her cottage.

"Sora!" Syo-kun enclosed his hand around her wrist and before she knew it she was being dragged off somewhere, leaving Natsuki to wave them goodbye.

"Syo-kun~ Let go, I need to rehearse!"

Syo-kun's grip tightened.

He led her to the back of a block of cottages, away from all the crowd of the pool and finally he let go of her wrist.

When she looked up into his eyes, she had difficulty reading him.

"Syo-kun?"

"You're right," he spoke quietly. "I do want to pair up with Nanami."

"But?" She prompted him, and his eyes darkened, "I know I'm not the only one. All of us - me, Natsuki, Masa, Ren, and Otoya. I _know_ that they'll request Haruka to be their partner too. Because she's an amazing person, and she made all of us feel heard through her songs and kindness…"

His usual boyish demeanour returned a little as he admitted what had been on his mind for a while, "I _really_ want to pair up with her, Sora! I know that you're busy rehearsing like Shining Saotome said, but could you _please_ help me?"

Sora's breath was stolen from her lungs.

The way he was looking at her - he wanted to rely… on her? How could she refuse him one small thing after all the help he had given her? Not to mention, to be relied _on_ rather than the other way round seemed like an appealing change.

He was her best friend, and he was gazing at her as though his entire life depended on pairing up with Haruka. The strange throbbing in her heart had returned, but she quashed it. _I really need my medication._

"Alright," she nodded. "There's an _Unofficial Date Night_ happening tomorrow night - maybe if you were quick and found her, you could ask her to go before any of the others do? It might give you the right atmosphere to ask her to be your partner."

Syo-kun lit up with a grin. "That's an amazing plan, Sora!" She blushed.

"So I just need to find Nanami!" He gave her a curious look and she smiled, trying not to clutch her heart from the strange throbbing that kept growing. It felt strange, unlike anything she had felt before. Not painful… just uncomfortably tight.

"I think," she said, "I might have seen her on the beach outside our cottage maybe an hour ago? She was talking to Otoya."

"W-what?" He looked even more determined now. "I won't let Otoya beat me to it - sorry Sora, but I gotta go right now!"

With that, he bolted away in the direction of the beach.

"Have fun~" She murmured, her hand hovering over her heart as she watched him leave.

First, she needed medication. Then she would practise until dark.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ


	16. Unofficial Date Night

**Sora 天**

" _Ohayou~_ Sora." Tomo-chan yawned as her alarm went off.

" _Ohayou…_ " She mumbled into her pillow.

She listened to Tomo-chan rustling around the room, eventually urging her own drowsy body to sit up.

"Is Haru-chan already up?" She asked the other girl, stifling a yawn. Tomo-chan nodded.

"She's always been an early riser. By the way…" She gave Sora a curious look. "Who are you going to ask to the date night tonight?"

Sora blinked. "W-what? N-no! I can't go to that…"

"It's compulsory you know!" Tomo-chan laughed, throwing a wink over her shoulder. "I'm going to ask Yajima-kun. It only makes sense, since we are going to be a pair."

"Oh." Naturally the date night existed so that for one night pairs could have fun _testing the waters_ as Ringo-sensei so helpfully put it. For a start her preferred partner wasn't even here, and if he was, Subaru was still her brother so it wasn't much difference.

"There's always Syo." Tomo-chan told her, a twinkle in her eye. "I'm sure he'd go with you if you asked - it's an _unofficial_ date night after all; there's nothing saying you can't go with someone platonically. I'm sure plenty of others will be too!"

"Syo-kun… is already planning on asking someone." Sora told her friend.

"Is it just me or do you seem a bit disappointed about that?"

She yelped. "W-what do you mean? I'm not disappointed - I'm really happy that Syo-kun asked me to help get her to be his partner."

"If you say so." Tomo-chan flicked her hair over a shoulder and smiled. "I've gotta go! I have another meeting with Yajima-kun, and then I need to ask him something~"

She left Sora in the cottage alone, her heart throbbing dully as it had the previous day.

"Not again~" She whined, sinking back into her pillows.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

After finally dragging herself out of bed, Sora got herself some iced tea and sat at the table on the deck, watching the waves lapping against the shore. It was… peaceful.

Until the sound of heavy paper hitting the table ruined the serenity of the early morning.

An envelope? It was expensive-looking, and when she set down her tea in favour of the paper, she was surprised by just how much weight it carried.

 _MISS SHIMONO_

She didn't understand anything except her family name in English - it had been one of the first things she had learned in English class.

Curiously, she tore open the large envelope and almost swore when a gust of wind threatened to sweep everything away, but with luck she managed to hold on to everything.

There was so much paper! Plus three CDs - all scrawled across with handwriting that she did recognise.

"Subaru?!"

She scanned the paper for an explanation and quickly found that there were three groups of stapled sheet music - three brand new songs that could only have been written by her brother!

Also included was also a note in his handwriting:

 _Saotome gave me a plan that will work. Wait for me Sora!_

 _Create some choreography that will make these songs shine!_

 _Love, Subaru._

Scanning the sheet music, she noted that Subaru had already added lyrics,. On each set of papers he had left room so that she could add her own ideas if she had any.

She did, just not for these songs - these were shining with her brother's creativity and passion. It was glowing off the page.

"I… want to sing these right now!" Gathering the contents of the envelope in her hands, she hurried away and found her stereo exactly where she'd left it last night on the table. She inserted the first CD that Subaru had titled: **空.**

Sky.

It was a piano playing - could it be?

"Subaru!" She sighed happily, closing her eyes and letting herself be immersed in her brother's playing.

She hadn't, however, been expecting to hear her brother's voice coming from the same recording.

 _"Onaji nuno kara katto_

 **Cut from the same cloth,**

 _orimono wa henka shite iru_

 **Our fabrics are changing,**

 _sureddo wa kenjitsu ni todomaru_

 **But our threads stay steadfast.**

 _Sora wa hiroi,_

 **The sky is broad -**

 _Dakara, zutto issho ni._

 **So we are always together.**

 _Henka o hete, watashitachi wa tsuneni tsuyoku narudeshou._

 **And through change we shall always be strong."**

Sora wiped tears from her eyes, heart aching both with loneliness and from proudness. It was his voice! It was really his voice! Subaru had sung!

So that they could be together again, he had overcome his fear.

"Thank you, Subaru," she whispered, stroking the sheet music to the song lovingly. "I'll never forget this."

There were two other songs that she listened to - one was darker, and more intense, while the other had a peppy synth beat behind it. He'd been thinking of the type of image they would want before they debuted. That was just like Subaru to think ahead. Clearly he'd been experimenting with different sounds, trying to come up with one that suited them as a duo the most. Before, he wouldn't have written anything that sounded remotely angry or intense… maybe HEAVENS had rubbed off on him just a little bit?

"I guess I'd better start the choreo!" She was beaming from ear to ear. "Thank you _Nii-chan!"_

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Syo-kun 翔くん**

It was pretty early that morning when Syo had decided to go for a run to start off his morning. Usually he'd sleep in pretty late, but he wanted to take the opportunity given to get his fitness up, should another Prince of Fighting role be offered up. He also had to be in the best possible condition for his graduation audition.

When he caught sight of Nanami staring off into space as she watched the sunrise over the horizon, his heart almost jumped out of his chest. He searched all over the resort for her yesterday after speaking to Sora with no luck, and now here she was right in front of him.

Usually he would have prepared what to say - how he was gonna ask her to the date night in the coolest, most manly way possible. Right now he just wanted to make sure he could ask before she had a chance to say yes to anyone else.

"Nanami!" He waved, rushing to meet her as she turned around to see who had called.

When her golden eyes saw him they widened, "Syo-kun!"

He scanned her face, noting that she seemed much happier than she had in days - had something good happened or was it just being away from the school that had taken a burden off her shoulders? But contrasting her happier eyes, were the dark circles underneath them. Had she not slept well last night?

She waited patiently for him to speak, which only left him stuttering to find the right words. How should he put this?

"S-Sora told me about this thing tonight." Starting by mentioning another girl, yes Syo very suave, what a player you are. He swallowed and tried again. "Did you ah… Did you hear about the compulsory d-d-date night?"

She blinked. "What?"

"It's unofficial!" He blurted out quickly, not wanting her to get wrong idea while also wanting her to get the wrong idea so that this would be over that much sooner.

"Ringo-sensei said it was just going to be a dinner with someone you want to be closer to… so uh, I was wondering if… if maybe you'd… go… with… me…?"

He hated the anxiety he felt. It was just a casual event that Ringo-sensei had made presumably for the students who actually did want to date someone who attended the same school, but making it compulsory had just made it awkward for a whole lot of people.

Ideally he wanted to wait until the right moment when he could sweep Nanami off her feet and show her how cool he was - not run towards her stuttering something about a date night of all things. However, he refused to go down without a fight. If he got rejected so be it. His pride as a man would be damaged, but at least he could say he put his heart on the line.

"W-with me?" Nanami stuttered. He nodded solemnly.

"But, what about Sora-chan?" The composer asked him curiously, while he blinked in confusion.

"Sora? What about her?"

Nanami smiled, "Sora-chan would be really, really happy if you asked her to go with you! I just know it!"

He blushed. "Y-you do?"

She nodded eagerly, "She's always talking about you and how much you've helped her! That's why I was thinking you might prefer to ask her."

"B-but-"

"Tomo-chan told me that lots of people are going as friends just to have a memorable dinner together! She's going with Yajima-kun - _and yesterday I agreed to go with Shinomiya-san!"_

He what?

"Damn you Natsuki," he muttered under his breath. Nanami regarded him innocently, "That's why, _gomen_ Syo-kun, but I can't go with you tonight."

He went very quiet. Figures that someone else had beaten him to it. But Natsuki?

The next time Syo saw him he was gonna-

"You should still ask Sora-chan!" Nanami insisted. "She must be really lonely now that we've come to this island to get to know our potential partners better, and Subaru-kun isn't even here… I think she'd really cheer up if you asked her."

She had a point. They hadn't spoken much yesterday and when they had it had for the most part been all about his admiration for Nanami. He hadn't even asked how her training and rehearsals were going, and Nanami was right. Subaru wasn't here and Sora was working hard to make sure she could see him again, meanwhile everyone else on the island was able to laugh and joke while spending time with each other.

Maybe inwardly Sora _was_ feeling a little lonely.

He didn't like the idea that he was treating her as his second choice though. It rubbed him the wrong way, like he was just taking advantage of her.

But if they had fun, wasn't that all that mattered?

He clenched his fist as he resolved everything in his head. "Alright. I'll go and find her now - uh… see you later then, Nanami…" His cheeks were still a little hot from the embarrassment of being rejected, but he felt better that Nanami didn't seem flustered.

"I guess… it's time to ask Sora out then…" he murmured and then his blush deepened as he realised his selection of words. It was strange… even though he'd never thought of Sora in _that way_ , he wasn't uncomfortable with the idea at all. That… didn't make him a playboy, did it? Oblivious to his inner struggles, Nanami smiled encouragingly at him.

"Good luck, Syo-kun!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Sora 天**

Sora had begun to put together small dance moves to the song Subaru had wrote, and the more she practised the dancing, the better she knew the song she was dancing to. For the past hour she had also practised whilst singing along with the track.

It felt wonderful to sing with Subaru again - the high that she was soaring on felt as though it would never end. Their future debut felt so real - like they could really end up being amateur idols by the end of their graduation and it was that excitement that only made her want to work that much harder.

The past had taught her that however annoying it was - she did have physical limits. Which is why she was now taking a break, sitting against a palm tree in her small grove just off the beach, while Subaru's voice continued to relax her.

"Sora!"

The sudden yell made her jump up and when she saw who had called her she broke into a grin. Perfect timing!

"Syo-kun! You have to listen to this!" She pointed at the stereo that was just about to start Subaru's song once again as her best friend joined her.

He listened as the first few notes began to play and seem puzzled, "I've never heard this song before - who is it by?"

Sora shushed him. "Just listen!"

 _"Onaji nuno kara katto_

 **Cut from the same cloth,**

 _orimono wa henka shite iru_

 **Our fabrics are changing,**

 _sureddo wa kenjitsu ni todomaru_

 **But our threads stay steadfast.**

 _Sora wa hiroi,_

 **The sky is broad -**

 _Dakara, zutto issho ni._

 **So we are always together.**

 _Henka o hete, watashitachi wa tsuneni tsuyoku narudeshou._

 **And through change we shall always be strong."**

She hummed along happily with her brother, while watching bemused as Syo-kun's face changed from puzzled to extremely confused.

"I feel like I know that voice," he said. "But if I knew the artist I would definitely know the song - I'm not some half-hearted fan, you know!"

Staring at him with expectant silver eyes, she gave him a teasing smile. "I'll give you a hint~ You know this person~"

He caught on quickly, "Subaru!?" His eyes were wide in disbelief. "That's _Subaru_ singing?!"

She nodded, practically soaring with pride. "That's my _Nii-chan_! Isn't he awesome? I told you he had an amazing voice!"

"It's more than amazing!" Syo-kun started up."It's _phenomenal_. He has to have the best vocals in the school, full stop." He closed his eyes and tapped his fingers on his thigh, along to the music.

"It's so… soulful," he observed. "Like every word of the song means everything to him."

"He's always been like that," Sora told him. "Subaru is so sentimental - that emotion is what drives him to be an idol. It's our childhood dream - that's always been the reason why either of us sing. I'm so proud that he was able to write such amazing songs for me."  
"There's more?" Syo-kun asked eagerly. Sora put in the other two CDs, noting happily that her friend seemed speechless at the end of each one.

"So?" She prompted. "Wha'dya think?"

He met her eyes. "Your debut is going to be sensational."

She smiled again, "That's the plan!" Then she frowned. "By the way, did you come here for a reason?" She felt bad that she hadn't been able to help Syo-kun with Haruka so far, but being caught up as she was in Subaru's new songs - she had quite honestly forgotten.

"It's okay," he said, and she realised then that she had spoken aloud and felt blood rise to her cheeks.

Syo-kun just smiled, "You don't need to help me with Nanami after all," he said, and she eyed him curiously. "Because," he blushed, "I was wondering if… maybe… if maybe… y-you… would go with me instead, Sora?"

Oh.

 _Oh._

 **Oh.**

Had Syo-kun…. just asked her out?

 _Ohmygosh_.

Her heart had begun to beat erratically, faster than she thought was even possible. Her head spun.

SyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOutSyoHadAskedHerOut.

She couldn't form a reply. She knew that she was blushing and that there was only one thing she could focus on.

Syo-kun had asked her out.

It was in a friend way, right? But then why did her heart feel a little heavier when she thought about it like that?

And why was her body reacting like this? It was getting harder and harder to breathe until…

 _Ohmygosh I can't breathe._

"It's just as-" Syo-kun never finished his sentence because Sora had begun to wheeze for air while she desperately tried to calm herself down.

 _Be calm and breathe, be calm and breathe, be calm and… SyoJustAskedMeOutSyoJustAskedMeOutSyoJustAskedMeOutSyoJustAskedMeOutSyoJustAskedMeOutSyoJustAskedMeOutSyoJustAskedMeOutSyoJustAskedMeOutSyoJustAskedMeOutSyoJustAskedMeOut._

Against her overactive imagination, Sora didn't stand a chance.

The last thing she saw was Syo-kun before she felt her body crumple, heart still aching from its worst affliction yet.

Love?

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ


	17. REALISATION OF LOVE?

**Subaru スバル**

"Finished!" Rubbing his eyes, Subaru checked the time on his phone, wincing at the harsh screen light. It had just gone past 4am and the mansion was completely silent. As usual, his day had been full of learning choreography with the other two members of HEAVENS - all while avoiding their very obvious glares. Since his return from his brief reunion with Sora, he had been running himself ragged trying to appease his uncle, whilst spending any free time he had writing songs for his sister with the hopes that their debut as siblings would come sooner rather than later.

He trusted that if Shining Saotome did know about the situation, that the headmaster would do what he could to help them.

He had sent three songs ahead to the recording studio that had been mentioned in Saotome's letter, a week after he had first received this newfound hope for his future. The fourth song now sat in front of him, ready to be recorded as soon as he had time.

 **Bzz!**

At that moment his phone pulsed.

 **1 new message.**

 **Sora:** _Are you awake?_

 **Subaru:** _Sora? You should be resting!_

 **Sora:** _I can't sleep… for multiple reasons…_

 **Subaru:** Did _something happen? Are you okay?_

 **Sora:** _I'm okay… it's just…_

 _Don't laugh okay?_

 _I think I might be allergic to Syo-kun_

 _Recently my heart keeps beating really fast when I'm with him - it feels scary._

Subaru froze.

He knew exactly what she was talking about. Had she herself not realised it?

 **Sora:** _I think…_

 _I think I might be in love with him._

Had a minute passed since that revelation? Two minutes? Three?

Subaru suddenly wanted to see his sister more than anything. Never before had she confessed something like this to him, and his heart ached at the fact that he couldn't be there for her properly.

His sister… was in love? For the first time.

He'd sometimes wondered if the day would ever come - and how he would feel about it if she suddenly had another guy take priority over him.

At first he thought he might be a little jealous… but if it was Syo…

He smiled to himself. Syo had supported her in his place, something that he could never repay properly. If he was the person his sister loved, then he was happy.

 **Sora:** _Subaru?_

 _Are you mad?_

 **Subaru:** _I'm not mad._

 _Are you going to tell him?_

 **Sora:** _…_

 _I already have._

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Sora 天**

 _12 hours earlier._

"Mmm…" As Sora came to, rubbing her eyes groggily, she became aware of something warm that was holding her around her waist where she lay upright, back pressing into that same sensation behind her. This wasn't the regular warmth of her blankets that she was used to, and she couldn't pinpoint what she had been doing but she felt as though something strange had happened. This warmth… it kinda felt like-

"GAHHH!" She desperately tried to leap up, but the restraint around her waist caused her to fall backwards, and shortly after the small mystery solved itself.

"WHA- AH- SORA?!"

She heard Syo-kun's voice, but for some strange reason it felt as though it was coming from underneath her. She glanced down, and saw that around her waist were hands, with fingernails that were painted black.

"Syo-kun?!" She wriggled away and this time she was able to get to her feet and see what she knew now that she had been laying on.

"I'm glad… you're okay, at least." He said, a little grumpy from how he had been woken up. He stood and dusted the sand off himself and then faced her, a bit disgruntled.

"You fainted after... anyway, you fainted and it didn't seem serious so I just thought I'd wait until you woke up. But it didn't sit right with me to just leave you on the ground which is why…" They both blushed.

Trying to smooth things over, Sora cleared her throat, "What were we talking about… you know, before?"

Her memory was still a bit foggy.

"I was about to… ask you… if you'd go with me tonight…" Syo-kun's blush deepened. "You know, for that date night thing."

 _Date night._

Those previous moments came flooding back, like a bit bucket of memories and heart fluttering had been dumped over her head. That was right… Syo-kun had asked her out.

"Just as friends! In case you were worried." Syo-kun rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish, "It turns out that Nanami is going with Natsuki - so we should go instead, as friends. You're not planning on going with anyone else, right?"

Sora shook her head, swallowing down her disappointment. It wasn't like she didn't want to go with him. But the way he had phrased it - she was sure he hadn't meant to sound as though she was his go-to second choice, but it stung all the same.

 _It was my idea to get him to ask Haru-chan_ , she reminded herself. _I have no right to get upset if she's already going with someone. Syo-kun's just trying to be considerate of me, I'm sure._

"I can come," she said finally, feeling her cheeks warm up as she said it. Syo-kun grinned, "Awesome! Then I'll come by your cottage later this evening and we can walk there together."

She nodded, temporarily ignoring those bittersweet feelings and returned his smile. "Sounds good!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

Sora frowned as she stared into the bathroom mirror wearing a sleeveless dress of sky-blue chiffon. Her silver hair was pulled into a ponytail rather than her usual twin bunches and as a finishing touch she had borrowed a matching blue rose hair clip. As they'd been getting ready for the evening, Tomo-chan had offered to help Sora and Haruka with any makeup which they had both hesitantly accepted. This was another thing that she didn't have much experience with, and Sora had only been comfortable with the tiniest smidge of lipgloss.

It felt strange getting all dressed up, and doing so much to her appearance for the sake of drawing more attention to herself made her feel shy - even after she'd gone through the effort of looking good for her audition - but as an aspiring idol she supposed that she would have to get used to that feeling. At least she knew she wouldn't be alone - Subaru was never one to seek the spotlight either.

 _What a funny career path we've chosen for ourselves,_ she thought, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Sora! The guys are here!" Tomo-chan called.

She took one last look in the mirror, glaring at her reflection before slapping her cheeks. "I can do this!" She told herself, hoping to ignore the anxiety building in the pit of her stomach..

"Coming!"

Sure enough, outside waiting at the steps of the cottage were their three dates. A boy who she had never met before who she could only assume was Yajima had begun to stutter as soon as Tomo-chan smiled at him. Natsuki had been babbling excitedly to Haruka who for the most part was just nodding as she listened to the young man cover a million subjects in the timespan of 2 minutes.

And of course, Syo-kun, who despite the heat had still worn a casual blazer over his t-shirt.

When Sora emerged from the cottage, he gave her his usual cheeky grin. "Sora - cute outfit!"

Well so much for staying calm. Just one compliment from him already had her feeling a little light-headed. _This is too much for my heart_ , she thought, stepping forward anyway with her trademark smile plastered across her face. It was natural for him to compliment her outfit - he did say during their shopping trip that he loved fashion.

"You look cool too, Syo-kun." Lightly punching his shoulder she turned to the other two couples, "Shall we get going then?"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

Unofficial Date Night turned out to be something that vaguely resembled a luau. A large table had been set up on the surf, laden with what seemed to be hundreds of delicious dishes, from appetizers to desserts. Spread around the main table were smaller tables for dates to sit and chat while they ate.

Ringo-sensei seemed to be having a blast as he stood by the largest stereo Sora had ever seen, immersed in his role as a DJ for the evening and apparently also as an 'unofficial' matchmaker as most of the songs he chose were slower, romantic ballads. Already couples had begun to dance together, barefoot in the surf.

Among them, Sora picked out their other friends - Otoya was standing with Ichinose, and he seemed to be trying to coerce the more solemn young man into staying for a bit longer; Ren was being swarmed with his usual female fans, while Hijirikawa-san stared at his rival coldly in the background.

None of them seemed to have brought a date with them - so was the 'compulsory partner' a… lie?

She looked questioningly at Tomo-chan who just laughed. "Ringo-sensei said that attending was compulsory, but I don't think he said anything about bringing a date being compulsory!" There was a mischievous twinkle in her magenta eyes as she spoke.

"Tomo-chan!" The other girl had already linked her arms with Yajima and led him away to the food table, with Natsuki and Haruka following suit, leaving Sora and Syo-kun by themselves.

Syo-kun was the first to break the silence between them. "Do you wanna grab something to eat first?"

It was evident by his tone of voice that he could also feel this suddenly awkward atmosphere between them, similar to the time when he had visited her at hospital. _Oh no, I'm not gonna let that happen again._

Ignoring how her heart squirmed, she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the ocean. "I want to do something first."  
They'd spent all this time on Saotome's private island, but with all of her practising she hadn't really gotten around to appreciating the beach. She and Subaru hadn't been together, and when she'd seen the beach on TV she'd always imagine herself barefoot, toes buried in the sand as the water lapped at her ankles. In theory, it sounded relaxing - now she wanted to try it for herself.

As they drew closer to the shoreline, she dropped his hand and took a deep breath - well aware that she was being watched closely by her best friend.

Kicking off her sandals, she took her first few steps towards the sunset, marvelling at the coolness of the water hitting her warm skin.

"Sora?" Behind her, Syo-kun spoke up.

She turned and beamed at him."It feels amazing! You have to try too!"

A few seconds later, he had joined her - his trousers rolled up, and his own shoes left with hers. For a blissful moment, they met each others eyes. Just a moment, but it felt like a thousand years, and they both averted their eyes again with reddened cheeks.

"H-have you heard from Subaru since he left?" Syo-kun asked her, watching the sunset intently.

She nodded, "Sometimes he manages to send a text here and there… but I think he's overworking himself. He sent a note with those CDs that I showed you earlier - he said Shining Saotome gave him a plan."

"Like the plan that he gave you," Syo-kun said, and she nodded. "But Subaru is in a worse position than myself… so I'm worried about him. He usually texts me in the early morning, and on top of that I'm sure his ankle hadn't healed properly yet but he's still working so hard."

She looked down at her toes as water rushed over them, "I really… admire him. For being so strong."

Something warm slipped into her hand at that moment, and she stared at her friend in shock when she realised it was his hand. His grip was strong and when she stared at him, he had an unknown expression on his face.

"You're strong too, you know," he said softly. "You've been run off your feet since you met Ootori, not to mention you've gotten through it all while still dealing with your health - and on top of all of that you even tried to help me with Nanami." He turned his head and smiled at her, "I'm really grateful that we became friends, Sora."

 _There is no way that my feelings for you are purely platonic,_ she thought to herself, and then froze.

Since when had she felt that way? Admitting it to herself felt right, and her heart skipped a beat.

So it was true then. The flutter in her chest whenever he'd look at her recently; the tightness when he mentioned his crush on Nanami… did she really… love Syo-kun?

If it was true, then what was she supposed to do with those feelings? Confessing was out of the question - not only was it against school rules, but Syo-kun didn't reciprocate those feelings anyway. No, she would tuck this new revelation inside her heart for now and think about it more later. It was stupid to do things in the heat of the moment when they'd affect things with her best friend forever.

For now, she just wanted to appreciate this moment together as it was. Her feelings could be dealt with later. Right?

"I'm grateful too, Syo-kun." She watched amused as he wrinkled his nose, "What?"

"You always call me 'Syo- _kun_ '" he said, "It's fine to call me Syo, you know."

"N-no way! _Murimuri!_ "

He huffed, "What's the big deal about dropping the honourific?"

She paused. "Well… it's my way of showing how much I admire you."

"You admire me?"  
"Of course I do!" She swung around to face him properly, and placed her hands on his shoulders, making sure that he could see the sincerity of her next words.

"You kept me company in the hospital when I was just a little girl. You helped me practise at lunchtime and after school when I was getting picked on in class - you helped me have faith in myself. Not to mention when you reminded me to have strength in my friends when I was re-admitted to hospital," she jingled the star charm bracelet he had given her at that time - complete with it's five star charms. A day hadn't gotten by since she'd received it that she hadn't worn it. She really was truly grateful.

She wasn't done just yet.

"And also… there was the time you found me that night, after I met my uncle for the first time. After he blackmailed me, and Subaru got himself into this entire mess to protect me… I didn't tell you everything then but… I-"

She sniffled, remembering the dark place she had found herself all those months ago. "I thought, back then, that maybe… maybe Subaru would be better off without me. He'd be in less pain… and he wouldn't have to have me drag him down his whole life."

Syo-kun's eyes flooded with sympathy. "Sora…"

"But you found me in the middle of those thoughts, Syo-kun," she continued, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "You found me, and you stayed with me until I'd calmed down. You understood my pain, even if you didn't know my situation - and then when you found out my situation, you helped me talk to Saotome. We have a plan now, and you were the person who gave my brother and I the courage to go through with it. That's why I can proudly say that I admire you, and that you're my best friend, and that..." She shouldn't say it. She _definitely_ shouldn't say-

"... and that I think I love you!"

Her hands were trembling as they rested on his shoulders, but she didn't drop her gaze. She needed to see his reaction, even if it was the opposite of what would be ideal.

She'd been swept up in the moment, exactly like she'd tried not to do. All of her cards were out on the table now for Syo-kun to see, and while it scared her, she also felt free. There was pounding in her head and she prayed that she didn't pass out like she had that afternoon.

She wanted to be conscious… even if that meant being rejected sooner.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Syo-kun 翔くん**

 _"... and that I think I love you!"_ Syo could feel her trembling as she stared up at him in earnest, not noticing her own tears that fell freely from her cheeks. She'd let herself become so vulnerable in front of him - he really loved what a sincere person she was.

He had to suppress a smile as she took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. It was cute. _She_ was cute. He had no doubt that a part of him loved her in the same way too.

A part.

Wouldn't it be wrong of him then, to accept the feelings of a girl who he didn't love wholeheartedly? In the back of his mind he could still see the composer girl who had also understood him in a way that no one else had.

No one else, except for one other person.

And a part of him was in love with that person. The other part of him loved her like a… like a what, exactly? He'd never asked himself to elaborate on those feelings before. Sora was just _Sora._ She was a huge, excitable dork who loved her friends and family and got insecure when she thought she was causing them pain. Thinking back to their first day of school and the way he'd jumped in to help her regain her breath after Natsuki practically kidnapped her, and the day they'd met in hospital as kids. Both times she'd been in trouble, and both times he'd wanted to do anything to protect her.

Even if he couldn't explain those feelings, he _did_ _know_ that he was drawn to her. Was that wrong of him?

It was wrong of him, to draw her closer, gently pressing his forehead to hers. It was wrong of him to cup her face tenderly. Sora was blushing furiously, wordlessly, helpless to what part of him wanted to do.

Even though it was wrong, when he leaned in even closer - her breath tickling his face - he didn't regret closing the gap between them, gently brushing his lips over hers. It lasted only a second, but it was enough.

Enough for the rest of him to fall in love with her too.

He pulled away, but entwined his fingers with hers, chuckling slightly when he noticed how red and wide-eyed she was. Her hands were still trembling.

"S-Syo?"

He grinned at her, "If that's all it took to get you to drop the honourific, then maybe I should have kissed you a long time ago."

Pouting, she dropped her gaze. "You're the worst."

"Now, now," he teased, poking her cheek. "Let's not forget how much you _admired_ me just a second ago."  
"I can't believe I confessed… after I was going to wait. I wanted things to be settled again before I did anything," she bit her lip, her brow creased. He squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"I understand," he said, and she met his eyes again. "You want to focus on your debut. On getting Subaru back to you safe and sound, and securing a future for yourselves. I want the same for you too."

Subaru was his friend too, after all. He'd promised to look after Sora, but there was no way he wasn't going to do the same for him as well.

"When all this is over," he said, raising his hand to trace the pattern of her rose hair clip. "When Subaru is back where he belongs, making music with you - I'm going to ask you to be my girlfriend. Officially."

When Sora opened her mouth to argue, he stopped her. "I know that this is against school rules. I know that dating another idol before we've even graduated is probably the stupidest and most risky thing ever… but if you're willing to give it a shot…?"

The smile that graced her face was so bright, "Of course I'm willing," she murmured. "Once Subaru and I are free - I'd love to… be with you." She took a step back, breaking apart their hands and bowed to him formally.

This time it was _him_ who was blushing.

"I'll be in your care then, so please - wait for me."

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Subaru スバル**

"Could the third member of our group be _any more pathetic?_ " Eichi leered, nudging Subaru with his foot, who lay sprawled across the floor of the dance studio, chest heaving from exertion. Nagi and Eichi had insisted on having an extra practice on their usual day off - it had been a day that Subaru had planned to spend recording the demo of a new song for Sora, but instead he found himself being dragged to the dance studio for rehearsal at 5am, less than an hour after he'd texted Sora.

He knew that he was already sleep-deprived. The amount of time he spent each night composing instead of sleeping had started to add up. His ankle hadn't healed, and his lack of sleep wasn't doing him any favours. Even so, he knew that he needed to keep going, keep pushing. He was so close to the finish line - so close to ending this nightmare.

"Oi! Stop spacing out." Nagi joined in with his senpai, and nudged Subaru's ankle with his foot. It was only a small nudge, but it sent a jolt of pain through his body and he couldn't stop himself from crying out.

Nagi studied him with bored eyes. "Seeing you in pain every time we try to do something is getting very annoying, you know."

Eichi smiled cruelly. "He's right you know, cousin. You're not being very considerate of our group. I think maybe it's time to let the hospital know that dear little Sora won't be able to afford her health expenses after all…"

"NO!" The threat hit him worse than the previous pain had, and he scrambled to his feet, blocking out the agony in his ankle. He couldn't fail now… not when he was so close.

"Tch tch," Eichi grinned, adjusting his glasses. "The way you shield her is so touching. She must be a truly pitiful girl indeed, if she has to be protected by such a _disappointment_."

Subaru gritted his teeth, "I don't care what you think of me," he said. "But you leave my sister alone. That was our deal!"

Eichi patted his shoulder, grinning as he turned to leave, "For now."

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ


	18. Starring! Shimono Sora!

**Sora 天**

"I'm gonna miss this place~" Sora yawned, giving the island one last scan before stepping onto the boat that would take them back to the mainland, her suitcase in tow. Technically, the rest of the students would be leaving this evening but Sora had to be at the Prince of Fighting set ready to record her scenes, so her vacation was cut shorter.

To be honest, she had forgotten and so she'd been shaken awake by a frantic Haruka, who had apparently been asked to get her by a disgruntled Hyūga-sensei.

Apparently he wasn't much of a morning person unless he'd got on his usual run to wake himself up, something that Sora took a note of to tell Syo-kun later when she saw him.

At the thought of what had transpired the night before, she couldn't keep the smile off her face. She and Syo-kun had…! Her first kiss! Or, the first kiss that actually counted, since there had been the accidental bump with Subaru when they were kids. _Her first kiss!_

"Shimono-san," she was jolted out of her daydream by none other than Ichinose. She'd forgotten that he also had business that required him to go back earlier with them too.

Remembering all the times the young man had brushed Haruka off coldly, she regarded him cautiously.

"Yes?"  
"How is your brother?"

"Subaru?" She couldn't hide her surprise, "I didn't know you two were close."

"We're not," Ichinose sighed, as though he was already tired with this conversation. "However, when I helped him get to the academy it was pouring with rain, he had a sprained ankle and the beginning of a fever. He was going to visit you, so I was checking to make sure he was okay."  
Sora relaxed a little with this new revelation. Ichinose had helped Subaru… So he was a good person. Yet she still couldn't understand his coldness towards Haruka. Well, for now she would try to be a little more friendly. She owed him that at least.

"He's… getting better," she said slowly. "He's also been busy composing so personally I think he could afford to rest a little more, but I guess we can do that later."

"It's good to hear that he hasn't let his talent go to waste." Another voice piped up. Hyūga-sensei leaned against the railings and regarded the two of them with interest. "Subaru is a brilliant musician. He has a bright future ahead of him."

Sora imagined her twin in his current situation with their sadistic cousin. The strict restrictions that had been placed on him, the distrust between himself and their uncle, and the conditions for keeping her out of hospital. More than anything, she wanted this path that they walked to lead to a happier life for her little brother. Let him be the one to focus on friendships and have fun with music when all this was over - she'd work twice as hard if it let him get a break when all this was over.

"I sure hope so," she said to herself.

Ichinose's face flickered with interest but it was short-lived. Sora wasn't gonna let him get away that quickly though.

"If… you happen to encounter my brother again, Ichinose," he raised his eyebrows in response. "Please look after him in my place."

He said nothing, but as he looked away she saw him nod slightly. Even Hyūga sensei seemed amused by their exchange.

"Thank you!" Ichinose might never see Subaru again, but it was nice to know they had one more ally, if the sullen young man could even be called that. One more person looking out for them was always a good thing.

"And if you need anything, just ask." She offered, but he didn't seem impressed by her offer at all.

"There is nothing you could do for me."  
"But if there _is_ , you can always ask!" Smiling brightly, she extended her hand to him. "'Cause a friend of Subaru's is a friend of mine. Although," she added, "I still don't approve of your treatment of Haruka but I guess you already knew that."

"You don't need to worry about that anymore," Ichinose said. "The misunderstanding between Nanami-san and myself has been resolved."

"Really?" Hearing that perked her up, "So you guys are friends now?! That's awesome!"

" _Iie,_ we're not-" But Sora wouldn't let him finish, "Don't tell me that you were being cold to her because she's a fan of HAYATO? I mean I get that you might not be a big fan of him even if he's your brother, but that's a bit cold - his music helped her get through a really tough time in her life. I mean, it helped me too! That and Prince of Fighting, which is why _I am so psyched_ to be in an _actual_ movie with the _actual_ Hyūga Ryūya! As his _sister_!" The more she spoke, the more the excitement that had bottled up since her audition came out. She was raring to go.

Then she remembered the other person on the boat with them.

"Well, I can't say having a little sister as enthusiastic as you is something I'm against," Hyūga-sensei said, frowning slightly, "Just… save that energy for when we're on set, Sora. Don't forget that you are representing the school."

" _Hai!_ "

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

"Cut!" Sora winced as the prepared for what was coming.

"Arisa! You're too stiff!" She nodded. The moment she had arrived on set in a throne room, she had ceased to be Shimono Sora. Instead she had become Arisa - the younger sister of Kenou, otherwise known as the Prince of Fighting.

"Sorry!" Truth be told, the dress she was wearing was taking a while to get used to. The bodice was unbearably tight but she hadn't dare complain to the woman in charge of wardrobe, so here she was screwing up take after take instead. She was sure that things would get better, but until then she was at the wrath of the director.

"This is an emotional time for you!" The director kept going, pointing at her fiercely. "You were taken hostage by the killers of the rest of your family and told your big brother was killed trying to rescue you. But then after years of grieving for your family - he appears in front of you, ready to protect you again! So far you haven't given me any of that emotion."

She bowed, "I'll do my best."

"Please do. Alright then," he signalled to his assistant. "Let's take it from the top, Hyūga. Kurosaki."  
Hyūga-sensei returned to his starting position, across from the film's antagonist - who was also kitted out in knight's armour that was tarnished black. Sora had heard a little about the idol who would be playing the Dark Prince and he gave off a powerful aura. She would be lying if she said he didn't scare her a bit. She sat on the smaller throne beside the king's, and waited for the cue to begin.

"Action!"

 _Kenou wiped the blood from a wound that seeped from his cheek, a grimace on his mouth as he glared at the black knight before him._

 _"You bastard," he growled. "Your father murdered my family and slaughtered my people, and you've carried on his legacy! I refuse to let you defile this world any further with your filth. This is the end, Dark Prince."_

 _"Now, now," the Dark Prince laughed cruelly. "Is that anyway to treat the husband of your darling little sister?"_

 _Kenou's eyes widened, "What did you just say?" His eyes fell on Arisa, who had begun to tremble. How many years had it been since she'd last seen him? She must have been a young girl still, but now here she was sitting on the throne - a symbol of her desperation to save the last of her people. In return for their lives, she had agreed to the bonds of matrimony - if you could even call it that._

 _"Onii-san," she whispered. "I'm so sorry…"_  
 _"Arisa," Kenou said her name like it was glass, not believing what it was he was seeing. "You're alive."_  
 _"I thought you were dead," Arisa's voice was on the verge of cracking. "They told me that you died because… because of me." Covering her face that was burning from humiliation, she also hid her tears, "He said he'd protect our people if- if I married him."_

 _The Dark Prince laughed again, "I've quite enjoyed having a wife so open to… compromise."_

 _Kenou's eyes flashed with anger, "I'LL KILL YOU!"_

 _"It seems you shall provide me with quality entertainment today, Onii-san," the other man said with a dangerous smirk, taking on his own battle stance. "I look forward to it."_

 _As the fight commenced, the Dark Prince seemed to have a clear advantage. He dealt blow after blow to the Prince of Fighting, all while teasing and taunting him which only enraged his opponent further._

 _Then, with one final kick Kenou crashed into the floor and the Dark Prince held his sword to his throat._

 _"I quite enjoyed that," the Dark Prince said, with another sadistic smirk._

It brought the face of a similar cousin to Sora's mind, breaking character for a second. She felt sick to her stomach when she suddenly saw Subaru's face in the place of Kenou.

 _No, he couldn't be- He had promised to protect her, so he couldn't lose now._

 _"ONII-SAN!" She screamed, rushing to kneel by his side. He could only groan in response. His body was battered and small cuts covered his body. It was evident that the Dark Prince hadn't even been trying._

 _"This was amusing, however - are you sure you're worthy to be called Prince of Fighting?" The Dark Prince asked, "Because you're a bit… how to put it - pathetic? Just a lost little boy playing soldier because he feels obligated." He chuckled, "You might have even thought my father did you a favour by killing your predecessor - isn't it nicer to be King?"_

 _Arisa could see Kenou struggling to stay conscious, the blade still at his throat. She had to do something!_

 _"Please, my lord! Please spare my brother! I'm begging you to spare him!"_

 _She threw her quaking body onto the marble stone floor, able to see the desperation and fear on her face for the first time in the stone reflection._

 _"Heh, isn't this nice, Onii-san?" the Dark Prince smirked, withdrawing his sword momentarily and grabbing Kenou by the neck to force him to watch as his sister begged for his right to live._

 _"Please, my lord." She repeated, "I'll do anything."_

 _"Anything? Sounds interesting." The Dark Prince let go of his grip around Kenou and kicked him forward, his face slamming on the floor while he cried out._

 _Arisa quickly returned to his side, letting his head rest of her lap, while she tore the bottom of her dress to stow the worst of the bleeding from his head._

 _"Arisa," he murmured. "I'm sorry… I couldn't protect you."_

 _She smiled sadly, "What're you talking about? One difficulty doesn't result in the dismissal of your other many successes." Leaning forward to whisper something only he could hear, she continued._

 _"You fought all this time… to avenge our family. Thank you, Onii-san."_

"Cut! That was much better, Arisa!" The director said happily. "And to think I was beginning to doubt. Anyway, take a five minute break everyone and then get ready for the Prince of Fighting's rallying fight scene. Good work, Hyūga-san. Kurosaki-san."

"Right." The man named Kurosaki stood and wiped the sweat of his brow, his silver hair also slightly damp from exertion.

"I didn't think you'd like the idea of co-starring with me for this, Ranmaru," Hyūga-sensei said. "But you seem to have taken to the role better than I'd expected."  
"A job is a job," Kurosaki said gruffly. "As long as I don't have to deal with Reiji, I'll do it."  
"Saotome likes the idea of you together as a group though," Hyūga-sensei said."You know that eventually he'll have you come together again one day."  
Kurosaki said nothing, and walked off, shooting a glance at Sora as he passed.

 _Scary!_

All that considered, she was really enjoying herself.

"Shimono-san! Let me touch up your makeup please!"

"Coming!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

"Sora - over here!"

Raising her head, she saw her favourite blonde-haired boy waving at her from where he sat on the steps to the girls dorm.

She smiled and quickened her steps, ignoring her protesting feet, now sore from standing for hours on end during filming.

"So? How was working with Hyūga-sensei? I bet he was super cool!"

Syo-kun was shining as he spoke - it was kinda cute.

"He was _awesome_!" She gushed. "And guess what he did in one of the fight scenes?!"

His eyes widened, "No way…?"

" **PURINSU NO TEKKEN!"** She yelled, punching her fist into the air with glee.

" _Uso!_ You're in the same scene as Hyūga-sensei using his signature move?!"

He ruffled her hair and she laughed freely. "I was so excited I thought I was gonna die!"  
"So, do you have to film anything else?" He asked.

She nodded, "I think they might need me for a couple scenes that they're shooting much later, but we managed to get most of the main ones today. I think they were trying to be considerate of my school schedule because graduation is approaching soon."

"Also," she added. "I think they're planning on releasing a trailer in a few days!"  
"So it's really happening." Syo-kun laughed good-naturedly, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "Let's watch it together when it comes out.

Her eyes shined, "Yeah!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Subaru スバル**

"Subaru-kun!" Someone knocked on his door, frantic to get it, "Subaru-kun!"

Limping to the door after leaving his current work-in-progress, Subaru opened it to see Eiji, his face serious.

"This is bad!" The other boy kept saying. "This is really, really bad."  
His stomach sank. "Has something happened?"

Eiji eyed his laptop and quickly leaned over the desk, opening up a web browser, and clicking again to open YouView.

"You need to see this." Eiji gestured to the screen, standing to the side so that Subaru could sit back down again.

On his screen the video titled read:

 **Prince of Precipices | Official Trailer [HD]| Hyūga Ryūya | Kurosaki Ranmaru.**

As the video began, Subaru recognised his teacher playing the role of his sister's hero, the Prince of Fighting. It was nostalgic for sure, but why was this _bad news_?

Wait a second…

"That's Sora!" He stared in disbelief as his sister, dressed in a long medieval gown, threw herself on the floor of a throne room, crying.

 _"Please, my lord! Please spare my brother! I'm begging you to spare him!"_

It covered a few more brief fighting scenes, and just as it ended, Subaru listened as his sister's voice continued as the screen faded to black:

 _"You fought all this time… to avenge our family. Thank you, Onii-san."_

He couldn't keep the grin off his face. This was huge for Sora! Although he was a little confused as to why she hadn't told him about it beforehand. He'd gone with her when she'd visited the mall looking for a dress for the auditions - it had been the same day they'd met their uncle. Since then however, he hadn't heard from her about the auditions at all. Maybe it had slipped her mind.

"I guess she got the role." He said, "I'm proud of her."

He faced Eiji, puzzled. "Why is this bad?"  
"Because-"  
The door burst open at that moment, making the two of them jump.

"Ah, there you both are." Eichi said, taking note of the video that was still paused on the laptop monitor, "I see you've also taken an interest in our dear cousin's acting abilities, Eiji."

"Eichi?" Subaru rose to his feet, "What is it?"

The other man smiled innocently, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Nothing to be so suspicious about, dear cousin. I merely come to convey a message - Father would very much like to see you right now."

Sighing, Subaru shared a quick look with Eiji, whose eyes were sympathetic, before following Eichi back into the study of hell where his uncle awaited him.

As usual, Ootori was smoking his cigar looking smug.

"It's come to my attention that my niece is quite the little actress," he began. Subaru's hands tightened into fists, "You said you would leave Sora alone."  
"I said no such thing. Our previous arrangement was you would be a part of HEAVENS in exchange for my continued financial help to support your sister's medical expenses. Nowhere did I say that I would not attempt to scout her talent should the opportunity arise. Not to mention, I should think it's time that girl took responsibility of her own illness instead of leaving you to shoulder everything."

"I'm doing this by my choice, uncle!" Subaru said hotly. "I'm not _shouldering_ anything. I just want her to be happy."

"And happy she will be." Ootori nodded, "As the newest talent to join Raging Entertainment, under the same conditions as her brother."  
He smiled menacingly at Subaru. "I think we're long overdue for another family meeting."

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Sora 天**

"I'm gonna miss this place~" Sora yawned, giving the island one last scan before stepping onto the boat that would take them back to the mainland, her suitcase in tow. Technically, the rest of the students would be leaving this evening but Sora had to be at the Prince of Fighting set ready to record her scenes, so her vacation was cut shorter.

To be honest, she had forgotten and so she'd been shaken awake by a frantic Haruka, who had apparently been asked to get her by a disgruntled Hyūga-sensei.

Apparently he wasn't much of a morning person unless he'd got on his usual run to wake himself up, something that Sora took a note of to tell Syo-kun later when she saw him.

At the thought of what had transpired the night before, she couldn't keep the smile off her face. She and Syo-kun had…! Her first kiss! Or, the first kiss that actually counted, since there had been the accidental bump with Subaru when they were kids. _Her first kiss!_

"Shimono-san," she was jolted out of her daydream by none other than Ichinose. She'd forgotten that he also had business that required him to go back earlier with them too.

Remembering all the times the young man had brushed Haruka off coldly, she regarded him cautiously.

"Yes?"  
"How is your brother?"

"Subaru?" She couldn't hide her surprise, "I didn't know you two were close."

"We're not," Ichinose sighed, as though he was already tired with this conversation. "However, when I helped him get to the academy it was pouring with rain, he had a sprained ankle and the beginning of a fever. He was going to visit you, so I was checking to make sure he was okay."  
Sora relaxed a little with this new revelation. Ichinose had helped Subaru… So he was a good person. Yet she still couldn't understand his coldness towards Haruka. Well, for now she would try to be a little more friendly. She owed him that at least.

"He's… getting better," she said slowly. "He's also been busy composing so personally I think he could afford to rest a little more, but I guess we can do that later."

"It's good to hear that he hasn't let his talent go to waste." Another voice piped up. Hyūga-sensei leaned against the railings and regarded the two of them with interest. "Subaru is a brilliant musician. He has a bright future ahead of him."

Sora imagined her twin in his current situation with their sadistic cousin. The strict restrictions that had been placed on him, the distrust between himself and their uncle, and the conditions for keeping her out of hospital. More than anything, she wanted this path that they walked to lead to a happier life for her little brother. Let him be the one to focus on friendships and have fun with music when all this was over - she'd work twice as hard if it let him get a break when all this was over.

"I sure hope so," she said to herself.

Ichinose's face flickered with interest but it was short-lived. Sora wasn't gonna let him get away that quickly though.

"If… you happen to encounter my brother again, Ichinose," he raised his eyebrows in response. "Please look after him in my place."

He said nothing, but as he looked away she saw him nod slightly. Even Hyūga sensei seemed amused by their exchange.

"Thank you!" Ichinose might never see Subaru again, but it was nice to know they had one more ally, if the sullen young man could even be called that. One more person looking out for them was always a good thing.

"And if you need anything, just ask." She offered, but he didn't seem impressed by her offer at all.

"There is nothing you could do for me."  
"But if there _is_ , you can always ask!" Smiling brightly, she extended her hand to him. "'Cause a friend of Subaru's is a friend of mine. Although," she added, "I still don't approve of your treatment of Haruka but I guess you already knew that."

"You don't need to worry about that anymore," Ichinose said. "The misunderstanding between Nanami-san and myself has been resolved."

"Really?" Hearing that perked her up, "So you guys are friends now?! That's awesome!"

" _Iie,_ we're not-" But Sora wouldn't let him finish, "Don't tell me that you were being cold to her because she's a fan of HAYATO? I mean I get that you might not be a big fan of him even if he's your brother, but that's a bit cold - his music helped her get through a really tough time in her life. I mean, it helped me too! That and Prince of Fighting, which is why _I am so psyched_ to be in an _actual_ movie with the _actual_ Hyūga Ryūya! As his _sister_!" The more she spoke, the more the excitement that had bottled up since her audition came out. She was raring to go.

Then she remembered the other person on the boat with them.

"Well, I can't say having a little sister as enthusiastic as you is something I'm against," Hyūga-sensei said, frowning slightly, "Just… save that energy for when we're on set, Sora. Don't forget that you are representing the school."

" _Hai!_ "

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

"Cut!" Sora winced as the prepared for what was coming.

"Arisa! You're too stiff!" She nodded. The moment she had arrived on set in a throne room, she had ceased to be Shimono Sora. Instead she had become Arisa - the younger sister of Kenou, otherwise known as the Prince of Fighting.

"Sorry!" Truth be told, the dress she was wearing was taking a while to get used to. The bodice was unbearably tight but she hadn't dare complain to the woman in charge of wardrobe, so here she was screwing up take after take instead. She was sure that things would get better, but until then she was at the wrath of the director.

"This is an emotional time for you!" The director kept going, pointing at her fiercely. "You were taken hostage by the killers of the rest of your family and told your big brother was killed trying to rescue you. But then after years of grieving for your family - he appears in front of you, ready to protect you again! So far you haven't given me any of that emotion."

She bowed, "I'll do my best."

"Please do. Alright then," he signalled to his assistant. "Let's take it from the top, Hyūga. Kurosaki."  
Hyūga-sensei returned to his starting position, across from the film's antagonist - who was also kitted out in knight's armour that was tarnished black. Sora had heard a little about the idol who would be playing the Dark Prince and he gave off a powerful aura. She would be lying if she said he didn't scare her a bit. She sat on the smaller throne beside the king's, and waited for the cue to begin.

"Action!"

 _Kenou wiped the blood from a wound that seeped from his cheek, a grimace on his mouth as he glared at the black knight before him._

 _"You bastard," he growled. "Your father murdered my family and slaughtered my people, and you've carried on his legacy! I refuse to let you defile this world any further with your filth. This is the end, Dark Prince."_

 _"Now, now," the Dark Prince laughed cruelly. "Is that anyway to treat the husband of your darling little sister?"_

 _Kenou's eyes widened, "What did you just say?" His eyes fell on Arisa, who had begun to tremble. How many years had it been since she'd last seen him? She must have been a young girl still, but now here she was sitting on the throne - a symbol of her desperation to save the last of her people. In return for their lives, she had agreed to the bonds of matrimony - if you could even call it that._

 _"Onii-san," she whispered. "I'm so sorry…"_  
 _"Arisa," Kenou said her name like it was glass, not believing what it was he was seeing. "You're alive."_  
 _"I thought you were dead," Arisa's voice was on the verge of cracking. "They told me that you died because… because of me." Covering her face that was burning from humiliation, she also hid her tears, "He said he'd protect our people if- if I married him."_

 _The Dark Prince laughed again, "I've quite enjoyed having a wife so open to… compromise."_

 _Kenou's eyes flashed with anger, "I'LL KILL YOU!"_

 _"It seems you shall provide me with quality entertainment today, Onii-san," the other man said with a dangerous smirk, taking on his own battle stance. "I look forward to it."_

 _As the fight commenced, the Dark Prince seemed to have a clear advantage. He dealt blow after blow to the Prince of Fighting, all while teasing and taunting him which only enraged his opponent further._

 _Then, with one final kick Kenou crashed into the floor and the Dark Prince held his sword to his throat._

 _"I quite enjoyed that," the Dark Prince said, with another sadistic smirk._

It brought the face of a similar cousin to Sora's mind, breaking character for a second. She felt sick to her stomach when she suddenly saw Subaru's face in the place of Kenou.

 _No, he couldn't be- He had promised to protect her, so he couldn't lose now._

 _"ONII-SAN!" She screamed, rushing to kneel by his side. He could only groan in response. His body was battered and small cuts covered his body. It was evident that the Dark Prince hadn't even been trying._

 _"This was amusing, however - are you sure you're worthy to be called Prince of Fighting?" The Dark Prince asked, "Because you're a bit… how to put it - pathetic? Just a lost little boy playing soldier because he feels obligated." He chuckled, "You might have even thought my father did you a favour by killing your predecessor - isn't it nicer to be King?"_

 _Arisa could see Kenou struggling to stay conscious, the blade still at his throat. She had to do something!_

 _"Please, my lord! Please spare my brother! I'm begging you to spare him!"_

 _She threw her quaking body onto the marble stone floor, able to see the desperation and fear on her face for the first time in the stone reflection._

 _"Heh, isn't this nice, Onii-san?" the Dark Prince smirked, withdrawing his sword momentarily and grabbing Kenou by the neck to force him to watch as his sister begged for his right to live._

 _"Please, my lord." She repeated, "I'll do anything."_

 _"Anything? Sounds interesting." The Dark Prince let go of his grip around Kenou and kicked him forward, his face slamming on the floor while he cried out._

 _Arisa quickly returned to his side, letting his head rest of her lap, while she tore the bottom of her dress to stow the worst of the bleeding from his head._

 _"Arisa," he murmured. "I'm sorry… I couldn't protect you."_

 _She smiled sadly, "What're you talking about? One difficulty doesn't result in the dismissal of your other many successes." Leaning forward to whisper something only he could hear, she continued._

 _"You fought all this time… to avenge our family. Thank you, Onii-san."_

"Cut! That was much better, Arisa!" The director said happily. "And to think I was beginning to doubt. Anyway, take a five minute break everyone and then get ready for the Prince of Fighting's rallying fight scene. Good work, Hyūga-san. Kurosaki-san."

"Right." The man named Kurosaki stood and wiped the sweat of his brow, his silver hair also slightly damp from exertion.

"I didn't think you'd like the idea of co-starring with me for this, Ranmaru," Hyūga-sensei said. "But you seem to have taken to the role better than I'd expected."  
"A job is a job," Kurosaki said gruffly. "As long as I don't have to deal with Reiji, I'll do it."  
"Saotome likes the idea of you together as a group though," Hyūga -sensei said,."You know that eventually he'll have you come together again one day."  
Kurosaki said nothing, and walked off, shooting a glance at Sora as he passed.

 _Scary!_

All that considered, she was really enjoying herself.

"Shimono-san! Let me touch up your makeup please!"

"Coming!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

"Sora - over here!"

Raising her head, she saw her favourite blonde-haired boy waving at her from where he sat on the steps to the girls dorm.

She smiled and quickened her steps, ignoring her protesting feet, now sore from standing for hours on end during filming.

"So? How was working with Hyūga-sensei? I bet he was super cool!"

Syo-kun was shining as he spoke - it was kinda cute.

"He was _awesome_!" She gushed. "And guess what he did in one of the fight scenes?!"

His eyes widened, "No way…?"

" **PURINSU NO TEKKEN!"** She yelled, punching her fist into the air with glee.

" _Uso!_ You're in the same scene as Hyūga-sensei using his signature move?!"

He ruffled her hair and she laughed freely. "I was so excited I thought I was gonna die!"  
"So, do you have to film anything else?" He asked.

She nodded, "I think they might need me for a couple scenes that they're shooting much later, but we managed to get most of the main ones today. I think they were trying to be considerate of my school schedule because graduation is approaching soon."

"Also," she added. "I think they're planning on releasing a trailer in a few days!"  
"So it's really happening." Syo-kun laughed good-naturedly, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "Let's watch it together when it comes out.

Her eyes shined, "Yeah!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Subaru スバル**

"Subaru-kun!" Someone knocked on his door, frantic to get it, "Subaru-kun!"

Limping to the door after leaving his current work-in-progress, Subaru opened it to see Eiji, his face serious.

"This is bad!" The other boy kept saying. "This is really, really bad."  
His stomach sank. "Has something happened?"

Eiji eyed his laptop and quickly leaned over the desk, opening up a web browser, and clicking again to open YouView.

"You need to see this." Eiji gestured to the screen, standing to the side so that Subaru could sit back down again.

On his screen the video titled read:

 **Prince of Precipices | Official Trailer [HD]| Hyūga Ryūya | Kurosaki Ranmaru.**

As the video began, Subaru recognised his teacher playing the role of his sister's hero, the Prince of Fighting. It was nostalgic for sure, but why was this _bad news_?

Wait a second…

"That's Sora!" He stared in disbelief as his sister, dressed in a long medieval gown, threw herself on the floor of a throne room, crying.

 _"Please, my lord! Please spare my brother! I'm begging you to spare him!"_

It covered a few more brief fighting scenes, and just as it ended, Subaru listened as his sister's voice continued as the screen faded to black:

 _"You fought all this time… to avenge our family. Thank you, Onii-san."_

He couldn't keep the grin off his face. This was huge for Sora! Although he was a little confused as to why she hadn't told him about it beforehand. He'd gone with her when she'd visited the mall looking for a dress for the auditions - it had been the same day they'd met their uncle. Since then however, he hadn't heard from her about the auditions at all. Maybe it had slipped her mind.

"I guess she got the role." He said, "I'm proud of her."

He faced Eiji, puzzled. "Why is this bad?"  
"Because-"  
The door burst open at that moment, making the two of them jump.

"Ah, there you both are." Eichi said, taking note of the video that was still paused on the laptop monitor, "I see you've also taken an interest in our dear cousin's acting abilities, Eiji."

"Eichi?" Subaru rose to his feet, "What is it?"

The other man smiled innocently, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Nothing to be so suspicious about, dear cousin. I merely come to convey a message - Father would very much like to see you right now."

Sighing, Subaru shared a quick look with Eiji, whose eyes were sympathetic, before following Eichi back into the study of hell where his uncle awaited him.

As usual, Ootori was smoking his cigar looking smug.

"It's come to my attention that my niece is quite the little actress," he began. Subaru's hands tightened into fists, "You said you would leave Sora alone."  
"I said no such thing. Our previous arrangement was you would be a part of HEAVENS in exchange for my continued financial help to support your sister's medical expenses. Nowhere did I say that I would not attempt to scout her talent should the opportunity arise. Not to mention, I should think it's time that girl took responsibility of her own illness instead of leaving you to shoulder everything."

"I'm doing this by my choice, uncle!" Subaru said hotly. "I'm not _shouldering_ anything. I just want her to be happy."

"And happy she will be." Ootori nodded, "As the newest talent to join Raging Entertainment, under the same conditions as her brother."  
He smiled menacingly at Subaru. "I think we're long overdue for another family meeting."

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ


	19. Chaos & Compromise

**Syo-kun** **翔くん**

Syo stood against the wall by the door to the girl dorms, waiting. After Sora had left summer camp early to shoot her scenes for the Prince of Fighting movie, he'd been working on his music by himself only to remember that he still hadn't done anything about choosing his audition partner. Which is why, he was here now a few days after returning to school, waiting for the one composer who could maybe understand the type of music he wanted to make.

He waved at Nanami when he saw her approach, carrying a paper bag that seemed to have a bouquet of roses poking out. It had Ren written all over it. _Damn it Jinguji, I'm not gonna let you take her._

"Yo!" He greeted her cheerfully, "I've been waiting for you."

Nanami blinked, golden eyes surprised, "Syo-kun?"

Grinning, he made his way down the stairs and gestured for her to follow him into one of the smaller gardens at the side of the dormitory. When he finally faced her again, he could see she was confused, but also maybe, apprehensive?

"I turned in my form with your name on it." He told her with a smile.

Nanami squeaked in surprise, her eyes still on him.

"For the graduation audition." He continued, "I wanna be partners with you."

She let out a little gasp. Embarrassed, Syo turned away and began to fiddle with the flowers in the bed behind him.

"See, Nanami, you're a fan of HAYATO, so you can understand how I feel about Hyūga-sensei." He let that sink in before he kept going.

"I was super happy when I found out. I know that only somebody who knows that feeling of deep admiration could understand. I've… had my eye on you since that day. You're so light-hearted and kind, but you're also kinda klutzy which made me want to protect you. When it comes to music though, you're completely different. It's scary how serious you are. And straightforward."

He emitted the part in which he'd also harboured romantic feelings for her. It wasn't as though those feelings had just all completely vanished during one evening on the beach with Sora, but he was under no illusion that his feelings for Sora were also genuine, and ever-growing. All that aside, he still wanted to partner with Nanami. It wasn't as though he and Sora could be partners, and from a composer-musician relationship point of view, Nanami definitely understood him well. This was his best shot at getting a good debut.

"That's not…" Nanami protested weakly, but he kept talking.

"I've been looking for the longest time for somebody who understands my feelings and will aim to make great music with me."

He grinned at her, "It's you!"

She was totally speechless, but that was a good thing right? His dazzling manliness was working (for the first time)!

"If it's you," he said, "I'm sure we can… Let's partner up! Okay?"

When did she get so close? He suddenly realised how far he had leaned in towards her during his display of enthusiasm. Face red, he quickly jumped away. _I hope Sora didn't see that._

"I feel the same way!" A new voice declared, causing Syo and Nanami to jump in fright.

It was Natsuki. _Goddamnit why now!?_

"Haru-chan." Natsuki said.

"H-Haru-chan?" Syo couldn't believe he was being so bold. How come Natsuki got to use her first name!? She was going to be _his_ partner, after all.

"Please be my partner." Natsuki smiled elegantly, and it was enough to dazzle even Syo.

Nanami's jaw dropped, "Partner? U-um…"

Syo couldn't believe it. HE COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. First beating him to the punch at summer camp, and now this?!

"WHAT THE HELL NATSUKI!?"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Sora 天**

Only a couple days had gone by since the release of the first trailer for Prince of Precipices but it had exploded at Saotome Academy, most likely thanks to the involvement of Hyūga Ryūya - Shining Saotome had even called a rare all school assembly to showcase the trailer and talk about the opportunities they, as potential idols, may be given one day.

Hyūga-sensei was as stoic as ever, but even he gave his nod of approval when Ringo-sensei had piped up: "And don't forget to commend Sora-chan!"

Since then she had been approached by many fans of the franchise, including those who had also been at the auditions. She'd enjoyed connecting with them over their shared interest - but mostly she was looking forward to hearing what Syo-kun thought.

 _I wonder if he's in class yet…_ She was sat at her desk, one of the first to arrive that morning from A Class. There were two others. Hijirikawa-san, and also, Ichinose, who had been dropped from S Class a little while before they went to summer camp. It had been a big deal at the time, and Sora had even thought that maybe he would earn some humility, but after knowing how he had helped her brother she had recognised that he had been doing his best in class ever since - Ringo-sensei had been pleased with his progress since they had come back from the island. She wondered if maybe what he had said about he and Haruka resolving their issues had something to do with it.

There was still time to kill before class started, and since she was sure Syo-kun would come and say hi should she lose track of time, she instead found her way to Hijirikawa-san's desk. They hadn't really spoken that much, even though he'd visited her in hospital with the rest of her friends and let her prepare with himself, Otoya, and Natsuki before their dance exam.

He was currently going over some annotated sheet music with a deep frown.

"What's that, Hijirikawa-san?"

He raised his head, surprised to see her standing there staring intently at the sheet music in front of him.

"Reviewing my grade for the previous assignment," he said. "It isn't something that is particularly interesting for you to watch."

She puffed out her cheeks, "So cold. We're friends aren't we?" Holding up her wrist where her charm bracelet hung, she pointed at the blue star charm, "See? This one is yours! The red is Otoya's, the yellow is for Natsuki, and Syo-kun is pink. I even have a yin and yang for me and Subaru."

Then she bit her lip as she studied the bracelet, "I should get one to represent Haru-chan and Tomo-chan. And of course you too Ichinose," she turned her head to flash a smile at the other young man who had been quietly reading at his own desk. "I told you before, a friend of Subaru's is a friend of mine. Do you have a colour preference or should I just go ahead and get you a purple one?"

He regarded her with an unreadable expression before going back to his book. "Do as you like."

She clapped her hands, triumphant, "Then it's decided. I can start using Hijirikawa-san's first name, and both of you are now contractually obligated to hang out with me more. How does that sound, you two?"

Ichinose gave a little smirk. "You aren't going to use my first name?"

She grinned. "So you're saying it's okay? That's great! I was hesitant because you're my elder but if you insist…"

He opened his mouth to protest but at that moment her mobile began to ring - the Piyo-chan theme song. Pulling out her phone she watched as the pair of them raised their eyebrows questioning her ringtone choice.

"It's super catchy, okay?" She hurried out of the class to take the call. It was Subaru and she hadn't heard his normal voice in a while. On top of that, she was running low on meds and had no idea where Subaru usually went to get her prescription.

"We'll talk later, Masato, Tokiya-chan." She called over her shoulder happily, "Look forward to it!"

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" _Moshimoshi?_ Subaru?" Sora let herself lean against the hallway wall as she answered.

"Sora?" His voice sounded strained, "We need to talk."

Something was wrong.

"We're talking right now aren't we?" She pointed out, dread seeping through her.

"Not on the phone. Can you… Can you wait after school by the gates to be picked up? Our uncle wants to speak with you."

The colour drained from her face, " _Oji-san_ wants to speak… with me?"

"Everything will be okay. I promise." And then he was gone.

 _I don't understand._

Her brother had spoken so cautiously - she wasn't the best at reading situations but even she could sense the fear behind his voice. He had spoken so stiffly - was someone else with him when he called?

Too many questions and not one answer. Again.

All she could do was wait until after school, but that meant that the ball of anxiety that was sitting in the pit of her stomach would only get bigger as the day went on.

She returned to the classroom quietly, nodding silently to Tokiya and Masato who were still the only others inside, before sitting at her desk, letting her fingers fiddle with her charm bracelet.

"Are you feeling unwell, Sora-san?" Ten minutes ago she would have teased Masato relentlessly for using her first name for the first time, but all she could think about now was whether or not her brother was okay.

"I'm okay." She forced her usual cheeky smile but she could feel that it was off. Masato look unconvinced.

"Perhaps you would be more comfortable speaking with Syo. He walked past just a few minutes ago."

Syo-kun. He knew everything about her situation now, unlike before. Perhaps she would feel better talking things over with him. She still had time before class started.

"Thank you, Masato." She rose to her feet, "I'll go and find him."

"I'm right here." Syo-kun said, looking concerned as he stood by the doorway, "You're super pale Sora - did something happen?"  
"It's…" Sora cast a glance at her other two classmates. "...Family stuff."  
Never before had she been dragged away so quickly. Before she could protest, Syo-kun had led her into an empty classroom where he shut the door and watched her carefully.

"Family stuff?"

She bit her lip and nodded. After taking a deep breath, she filled him in on Subaru's phone call.

"I haven't faced my uncle since we first met him all those months ago… And he scares me even more than Eichi. He has… a lot of power over me. I'm still a minor and he's the brother of our appointed guardian. He can make my aunt agree to _anything_. What if he makes me drop out of school? Or what if he makes Subaru do even more work? I- I can't-"

Her words were cut off by Syo-kun who quickly pulled her in for a hug.

"I'm scared, Syo." She whispered.

His fingers stroked through her hair. "Everything will be okay, Sora. I promise."

"He said the same thing," she murmured into his chest.

Syo-kun ruffled her hair, pushing her away to rest his hands on her shoulders, "Because it's true. The two of you will get through anything as long as you stick together."

She sighed, noting that her body didn't seem as heavy, "Thank you, Syo-kun."

Syo-kun pouted, "Are you adding the honourific again so quickly? You called me 'Syo' just fine a minute ago."

" _Oh!_ " She blushed. It had been so natural at the time she hadn't thought about it twice.

"Well, whatever. You know, we still haven't talked about something else that I've been dying to mention for the last few days."

She blinked, "What?"

Syo-kun snorted. " _What?_ The movie trailer! We said we were gonna watch it together but it's been crazy busy and I couldn't help myself. You were _awesome_! I didn't know you knew how to act like that!"

Sora could feel the blood rising to her cheeks again. Coming from Syo-kun, the biggest fan of Prince of Fighting she had ever met, this was the highest praise she could receive.

"Plus," he added, blushing. "You looked seriously cute."

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As the school day drew to an end, the butterflies in Sora's stomach began to go crazy. She was in such a daze it was no surprise that she bumped into someone on the way out of class.

" _Sumimasen!_ " She bowed, her eyes locking onto Haruka's. She sighed a breath of relief.

"Haru-chan?" The other girl didn't look well at all. Now that she thought about it, the composer had been very quiet, and had disappeared during lunch. There were rumours going around that six people, including the one and only Ichinose Tokiya had requested her to be their audition partner.

She'd been in such a state that morning, she'd totally forgotten to ask Syo-kun if he was still going to request to pair up with Haruka too.

"Oh, Sora-chan. _Konnichiwa._ "

Sora smiled at her kindly. "Are you thinking about who you want as your partner?"

Haruka nodded, her eyes desperate. "What should I do, Sora-chan?! Ittoki-kun, Jinguji-san, Syo-kun, Shinomiya-san, Hijirikawa-san, and Ichinose-san all want me to be their partner. I don't know what to do…"

Well that explained why she had excused herself earlier at lunchtime. She'd been avoiding everyone save for Sora and Tomo-chan like the plague. _It must be tough_ , she thought. _Knowing that no matter what choice you make, you end up disappointing five other people._

"Maybe you could talk to them all again? It might help."

" _Un_." Haruka still looked unsure, "Thank you, Sora-chan."  
"No problem. I'll support you no matter what choice you make!" Sora waved her goodbye. "I'd better go now."

Haruka nodded. " _Un._ Bye!"

* * *

The same black car was waiting for her at the school gates when she arrived.

As was a certain blonde-haired boy.

"Syo-kun?" Sora asked.

He gave her a soft smile, "I wanted to see you off at least." He reached for her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Text me if anything happens. I'll bust into your uncle's mansion and rescue you if he tries anything."  
She laughed, surprising herself. "I will. I promise."

With one last glance at him, she stepped into the car and allowed herself to be taken once again to the Ootori mansion.

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 **Subaru スバル**

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

Eichi cleared his throat, clearly annoyed but Subaru didn't hear him. He was too busy drumming his anxieties into the table by the entranceway.

 _Taptaptap._

"Subaru-kun," it was Eiji, who gave him a warm if tentative smile. "It will be okay."

He couldn't bring himself to believe his cousin. Raging Ootori was too unpredictable and it scared him, and if he was going so far as to summon Sora then clearly he already had a plan in place to coerce her into joining his talent agency.

He heard the gravel outside crunch under the rubber of the car tyres.

 _Taptaptaptaptaptap._

The front door opening slowly.

 _Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptap._

"Subaru!" He was smothered by the familiar scent of jasmine from her favourite shampoo. He could feel her trembling, and he was sure he was the same, but he hugged her tight. She would not be alone when they stood before their uncle.

"Let's go." He whispered.

She pulled away reluctantly, but smiled at him.

"Where is my reunion hug, dear Sora-chan?" Eichi smirked, holding his arms out to her. "You wouldn't refuse the person who has been looking after your brother would you? Not when things are so _uncertain_ for his future?"

Sora went white, but took a deep breath and stepped forward, ignoring Subaru's look of fury.

"I… apologise."

Eichi's smirk grew more smug and he directed it all at Subaru as he too, wrapped his arms around Sora. Before she could pull away completely he grabbed her and whispered something in her ear, which only made her grow more pale.

Subaru felt his hands curl into fists - no one treated his sister like that!

" _Onii-san!_ " Eiji stepped in. "You're scaring her."

Eichi adjusted his glasses. "I don't know what you mean."

Ignoring his brother, Eiji smiled warmly at his cousin, "It's good to see you again Sora-chan."

"Oh? Is this the twin sister that you've been fawning over, Subaru?" Nagi asked with a raised eyebrow as he made his way down the stairs. Subaru gritted his teeth, "Nagi. This is Sora."

He looked at his sister. "This is Mikado Nagi, the other member of HEAVENS."

She bowed slightly, her smile thin. "It's good to meet you."

Nagi stopped in front of her, leaning in to study her face, "You don't look too bad. It's a shame that your sickness has made you so weak. I might have even considered you to be not totally useless, unlike your brother."

"Subaru isn-" Subaru cut her off before she could begin an argument. They were going to have enough of a battle on their hands as it was.

"Let's go." He repeated, leading her towards their uncle's study.

" _Hisashiburidana,_ Sora." Raging Ootori boomed, tapping ash from his cigar into his small desk tray, "This won't take long. You just need to sign this form."

He pushed a piece of paper towards her and gestured for her to come forward from where they loitered in the doorway.

"What form?" Subaru asked suspiciously. His uncle shrugged, "Nothing you need concern yourself with, but if you must know, it is a contract. Your sister's contract. To be completely honest, when she first walked into my office, I deemed her completely worthless. She would bring no value to my agency, but I was willing to take her on and let her make a fool of herself if it meant recruiting a composer and singer of actual value. But the movie trailer that was recently released has made me rethink that plan."

The older man nodded at the contract which Sora now read intently. "When you sign with me, I shall push you into making a good acting career while your Subaru works with musicians of actual talent, alongside his work with HEAVENS which will become a permanent role once you have signed on."

Sora exchanged looks with her brother and then shakily put the contract down.

"I can't sign this," she said flatly. "Acting was fun, but music is my passion. And you're going to make Subaru sick with the amount of work that he would be required to do."

Ootori chuckled, "You seem to have misunderstood my intentions. This is by no means a decision that you must make. It is a decision that I _have_ made, with the blessing of your guardian who I also support financially. I am no longer prepared to pay for exorbitant medication out of the goodness of my heart. You will work for it, just like every other working man and woman in Japan."

Subaru felt his blood run cold. "You promised! You promised me you wouldn't do this if I worked for you!"

Their uncle nodded. "I did make a promise under the assumption that you were going to work tirelessly to prove to me that you were a good investment, which is something you failed to do entirely, thanks to your sister becoming a constant distraction. Did you think I wouldn't notice that you stay up all hours of the night singing and composing songs that I have yet to see? I have always known that you would run to Saotome the moment things got too tough for you, but I will not allow you to disgrace my agency by defecting to his joke of a school."

"You can't do this!" Subaru slammed his hands on the desk, body shaking with rage. All the work he had done to try and protect his sister, the all-nighters he had pulled, the injuries he had sustained - not to mention the insecurity and anxiety Sora had felt whilst she could only watch on - it had all been for nothing?! He refused that outcome. He _would_ protect her.

"This is blackmail!"

"Is it? As your uncle and part guardian, I am only telling you the consequences of your situation. I cannot afford to pay for Sora's expenses, and the only solution to that is to work for my agency. This is not blackmail, it is parenting."

Subaru laughed. "Is that what you call it? No wonder our mother left. I'm ashamed to be related to you as well. Don't even begin to compare yourselves to our parents - they loved us! They sacrificed everything for us!"

"They are dead." he told them. "My sister wasted her talents and focused entirely on raising her children with that sorry excuse for a husband. She had an arranged marriage lined up, with good prospects. She threw it all away for love, and now her children are repeating that sin. This contract is how you redeem yourselves."

"She isn't signing it." Subaru told him. "You can have me. I'll work a hundred times harder, I'll never leave the mansion again unless told to - I'll compose as many songs as you want, just please support Sora. Please!"

He threw himself on his knees and bowed low. Behind him, he heard Sora sniffling.

After what felt like years, his uncle stood.

"She can leave."

Subaru raised his head, not daring to hope.

"I will not be paying for anymore medication. When she runs out she can either put her health at risk by attempting to prepare for the rigorous graduation audition, or she can allow herself to be re-admitted to the hospital. If neither of those options are preferable, this contract still stands."

Subaru slumped backwards, defeated. He had lost. There was no way he would allow Sora to strain herself if she didn't have her meds - just thinking about the time she had collapsed during her dance exam made him feel sick.

"I'll survive." Sora spoke up, her tone defiant. "I've been training loads. I barely need any meds now. I'll pass my audition and then you won't have any hold over us. We'll make our debut together without your help!"

Ootori smirked, "Is that so?"

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"How much medication do you have left?" Subaru asked his sister, as they stood outside by the car that would take her back to school.

She looked down at her feet. "Less than a week's worth."

"You're kidding! _Please tell me you're kidding._ " He grabbed her shoulders, searching her eyes for the fear that she should be feeling. No medication was a big no-no. It spelled out hospital, or heart attack.

"It'll be okay, _little brother."_ He froze. Never in her life had she called him that.

"Sora?"

She ruffled his hair. "I was telling the truth when I said I don't really need it that much. I've gotten a lot stronger since I was last here. You can trust me, you know."

"I always trust you," he said. "But this entire situation scares me."

"Me too." She stepped away, and let the driver open the door for her. "I'll text you when I get back."

 **Bzz!**

Subaru felt around his pocket for his phone, eyes narrowing when he read the message. A little gasp from Sora confirmed that she had also received the same message. From Syo.

 _NANAMI IS MISSING._

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	20. Absolution

**Sora 天**

She had never run so fast in her life. After begging the driver to go faster with no luck, she'd practically fallen out of the car, jumping out as it slowed to a halt. All this time, she had spent worrying over her own problems, Sora had completely neglected to support Haruka.

If she was missing then… then…

 _I could have done something to help._ Her legs kept going, even though her breathing was becoming erratic and her heart pulsed violently.

Haruka and Tomo-chan's bedroom was on the same floor as hers, but that meant there were seventy-six stairs between her and getting an explanation. Since her first day, she'd gone back to using the elevator… but this was an emergency! And as she'd pointed out to Subaru, hours and hours of choreo had really improved her fitness. She could handle this.

"OW…!" Sora cried out in pain when she ran headlong into somebody, tripping over both her own feet and the stairs. Only the person in front of her who quickly caught her elbow, stopped her from falling backwards in surprise.

"Sora-chan?" No doubt because of the noise she was making, Tomo-chan had begun to see what all the noise was about. "Why are you so out of breath? It's dangerous for you!"

"I'm… fine…" Sora lied. Now that she was standing still, her head was woozy, her lungs were begging for air, and her chest was on fire.

 _Uh oh…_

"I need… my… meds…" She tried to step past her friend and continue upwards, but at that moment her legs chose to give out.

"Sora!" Strong arms caught her just in time. It was Syo-kun, there was no doubt.

"I was coming to meet you by the gate when I saw you running across campus. What are you thinking?!" Syo-kun held her to him protectively - and tightly.

A round of coughing erupted from her chest, making pain bloom in even more places. Before she could form any more requests he had completely lifted her up, and Tomo-chan led him back up the staircase.

"Haruka… Is she… okay…?" Her eyes were pleading.

"Haru-chan?"Tomo-chan asked, looking confused. "She's in bed with a fever so she didn't go to class today. Why?"

Oh. So it was all a big misunderstanding.

"I need… to tell… Subaru…"

"You're going to rest." Syo-kun told her firmly. "I bet you forgot to take your medication again this morning, huh?"

She nodded. " _Gomen...ne…_ "

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Tomo-chan returned to check on Haruka, leaving Syo-kun to look after Sora. He managed to get the door open and carefully propped her up on her bed. Then he began rummaging around, searching for her pills.

Sora fought desperately to keep her eyes open, but tiredness was consuming her. It felt as though there was a tiny creature with razor sharp teeth nibbling away at her heart, the pain worsening with each second.

"Syo-kun," she murmured. "It's in the bathroom… under the sink…"

He nodded.

A few moments later she heard his voice echo from the bathroom. "There's nothing here."

 _Uh oh._

He returned, concern and worry etched into his face, brandishing a small plastic container that was also absolutely and totally empty.. "Sora? Is this it? There's nothing here."

No no.

"That… there was at least… a week's worth…"

"A week's worth?" His blue eyes widened in horror. "You haven't got any more?"

She shook her head and he sighed. "Then we've got no choice." Pulling out his phone, he watched her sympathetically. "We have to call an ambulance."

Her heart really did explode then.

"No! You can't!" She struggled out of bed, but her legs were completely useless now and he managed to stop her from falling on her face.

"My uncle… he wants me to sign a contract… I said no… He's… If I go back… _I'm never going to get out again_ … Please…" She grabbed his wrist and stared up at him, desperate tears forming in her eyes, "Please don't… I'm fine. I'll be.. fine."

"And what about Subaru? What about _me_?" Syo-kun couldn;t hide the hurt in his voice. "What do _we_ do when you end up having a heart attack, or something worse because of this?"

He put the phone to his ear and cupped her cheek tenderly. "Sorry, Sora. I don't wanna take that risk."

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Being re-admitted into hospital after only a few months was about as good as Sora expected. She was ushered into her own private room which she was told was requested specifically by a close family member. In short, Raging Ootori had provided Sora her own personal prison. She was subjected to the same old tests she had done a thousand times, and after being hooked up to a drip with some painkillers to help her deal with the chest pain - she was all set to reunite with the same horrible white walls and the smell of disinfectant. Her doctor was someone she didn't know, with a cold grimace as he examined her. Suddenly she missed Tanaka-sensei dearly.

So far she had been ordered to rest - no visitors allowed. Not that she particularly wanted to see anyone at the moment in her state - not even Syo-kun. If Ootori knew she was here, then it wouldn't be long until her brother fought to check on her. It also meant that she was expecting her gloating uncle to enter waving about a contract to make All Her Problems Go Away.

Well, damn if that wasn't an attractive offer now.

The only thing of note was the next evening, she saw a man being wheeled away to a hospital room down the hallway - and Tokiya was in close pursuit. Was someone he knew sick?

She had none of her belongings, not even her phone or her iPod which also meant no music. It really was as though she'd been imprisoned.

Maybe that was why, when she was gently shaken awake a few hours later and found herself face to face with Tokiya, she was too numb to care. Well, that and the drugs.

"Tokiya-chan." She smiled weakly. "What's up?"

"You look terrible." He lowered himself onto a chair beside her bed. "Why are you in a restricted room? Where's your brother?"

"It's the perks of being related to rich, manipulative asses.." Sora sulked. "The graduation audition is only a month away and I'm stuck in here because Syo-kun was worried about me, and I can't leave because I'm being blackmailed by the oh-so-famous Raging Ootori who also happens to be my adoring uncle - the man who is working my brother to death to keep me out of… well, _here_. Did I miss anything?"

He didn't look nearly as surprised as she had hoped.

"I had my suspicions." He said after a while, but he didn't specify further. "I'm sorry that this happened to you. Do you need me to contact anyone?"

She waved her hand dismissively, "You can go ahead and try… Subaru probably already knows but he's living with our uncle so trying to get here would be a bust. Syo-kun probably has a million things to worry about with the graduation audition, least of all me." She laughed dryly, "Just leave me here. They've got me all set up - I'm numb to all types of pain, see?"

Holding her arm up, she showed off the drip with a smirk, but he frowned. "When was the last time the nurse checked in on you."

She counted with her fingers.

"Two… Four… Six… Eight hours…? Or maybe she only comes when I'm sleeping."

When he stood to leave, she grabbed his sleeve, "Hey, Tokiya-chan. Can you do me a favour?"

He nodded.

"Can you get me some music - HAYATO is preferable, God knows I only survived my previous stays here because of him. And if you feel like passing on a message to your twin brother, I would seriously love a pity visit - he can fake cry and everything, I don't care. It's just… really lonely in here. Maybe they can even make a story out of it - he saved my life once after all at his last concert."

Was it just her imagination or had Tokiya gone a little pink?

"There doesn't seem to be any point in keeping it a secret from you any longer," he said. "And this might clear up any other misunderstandings we had in the past."

"Oh?"

"I don't have a twin brother. Just a career that keeps taking me further and further away from singing."

Oh. That made sense.

"I knew it was weird to have so many twins in one school." She said with a laugh."But I guess I got my pity visit. Thanks, HAYATO-chan."

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 **Subaru スバル**

Subaru stared at his phone in disbelief, his eyes re-reading the second text he had received from Syo.

 **False alarm. Nanami was just sick. Sorry for worrying you.**

There was nothing else. No mention of his sister being back in hospital, which his uncle had told him with the same infuriating smirk. The mansion doors were locked, and Eichi had been in charge of 'watching him'.

What could he do in this situation? How could he protect Sora?

There was only one option.

 _I hope he actually gave me the right number._ His fingers tapped out the message and then he tucked the phone away in his back pocket, glaring at Eichi who was lounged on one of the leather sofas in the living room before heading off towards his uncle's study. He'd had enough, and it was time to finish this.

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"I want to talk." Subaru stood opposite from his uncle, arms crossed. "I want a compromise."

Raging Ootori didn't look very interested. "Go on."

"You let my sister out of hospital. Pay for her meds. In exchange I'll get her to sign that contract. I'll be with HEAVENS, and she'll be an actress. We'll finally get to be together again. It's a win-win."

"What of her lingering attachment to your ridiculous dreams of a brother-sister idol duo?" Raging Ootori stared at him hard.

"I'll convince her to give it all up. Better to be together then not at all. She'll understand, I know she will!"

Subaru's stomach was riddled with nerves. The overwhelming menace coming from this man was just too much to handle.

Then his uncle began to clap.

"Excellent!" He roared, putting out his cigar and getting to his feet. He pulled a familiar looking form from his desk and began to march out of the room, "Then, let's go and tell her together then, shall we?"

Subaru gulped, but followed suit. _I hope I've made the right call._

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"Sora…?" At the insistence of his uncle, Subaru stepped into the hospital room first, the afternoon sun shining through the window next to her bed. Her form appeared to be thinner than ever.

His big sister didn't look so good. Her silver hair was knotty and greasy, her skin was paler than usual, and there were black rings under her eyes.

He'd left her alone for three days and this was what had happened?

At the sound of his voice, she barely stirred.

"Sora?" He quickly joined her by her bedside and reached for her hand. It was like ice.

"You're freezing, _Nee-san_!" He shrugged off his jacket and brought it around her shoulders, "Where's the nurse?"

"Who knows? I told her I didn't want to eat. I can't sleep. I have no music. They took my phone. Even my charm bracelet - I'm not even allowed to remember I have friends when I'm in this place." She chuckled lightly like she'd just teased him, rather than admitting how badly her condition had deteriorated. Then he noted the drip in her arm, following it to its source.

He turned his head and narrowed his eyes at his uncle. "That's not her usual pain medication."

Ootori shrugged. "They're the doctors, not you."

His fingers curled into a fist, "I've been by her side ever since she first came to hospital. I remembered _everything_ \- down to the disgusting meal plans. She couldn't handle most of the painkillers they gave her, so Tanaka-sensei gave her a dose of one that hasn't been totally greenlit yet; it worked so that's what she's been having ever since. Her doctor knew that. _Where is he?_ "

His uncle shrugged again. Subaru's fingernails were digging into his palm. "Sora is being attended to by a private doctor in a private room. It would look bad for my company if this were to get out." He brandished the contract and offered it to Subaru. "Get her to sign this and we can leave. I have a dinner meeting this evening so try to speed things along. It seems you can at least use this situation to our advantage."

Subaru hesitated, checking his phone once.

No new messages.

"Fine."

He snatched the contract and set it in front of his sister, on the small moveable bed table.

"Can you sign the contract for me, Sora?" He asked gently, helping her to hold the _hanko_ \- the small stamp that had their family name kanji on it - and pressing it against the small red ink pad.

"Just get on with it." Ootori interrupted.

Before Subaru could shoot something back, they had another visitor.

A _very_ different visitor..

" _Oh no, no, no!_ " The door slammed open and a dazzling atmosphere burst into the previously gloomy room. "This won't do at all."

"Saotome-sensei!" Subaru had never been so happy to see the eccentric man before. The president of Shining Agency struck a pose and winked at him, "Mister Subaru. It is a good thing you contacted me when you did."

Behind him, Subaru caught a number of familiar faces clambering to anxiously peer into the room.

Nanami-san, Hijirikawa-san, Ren, Shinomiya, Otoya, and even…

"Syo!"

"Lemme through!" Syo did his best to push to the front of the crowd and thanks to his short stature he was able to slip under the arms of Shining Saotome. One glance at Sora made his face drain of all colour and he immediately rounded on Raging Ootori, who had been glaring at all of them fiercely.

"What the hell'd you do?" Syo growled. "She looks worse than when they brought her here!"

Ootori was now preoccupied with the threat before him. Shining Saotome.

"You tried to take two of my best students off my hands with such dirty tactics." Saotome declared. "It's a good thing I went ahead and took pre-emptive measures."

Ootori blinked. "What are you talking about?"

Saotome grinned, staring at the view outside."It's about time."

A crowd were pushed to reach the window, where Sora had been able to view a massive digital billboard a few streets down. It was just finishing displaying a commercial for shampoo when they all heard it. Subaru gasped.

It was his song. _His song!_

Then they all gaped at the voiceover that followed. It was Shining Saotome's voice again.

 _"Helloooooo~~ Japaaaaaaan~~! On the behalf of Shining Agency and Raging Entertainment, I have an aaaaaaannouncement!"_

 _"Raging and I have an unmatched rivalry! Today we have put aside our differences to give you Japan's first… Crosssssss Agency Duet Debut~~!"_

" **WHAT!?"** Everything in the room was in shock. Saotome shushed them.

 _"These twins are part of different agencies but represent the unity that music brings us all! First, from Raging Entertainment, he'll do anything to protect the ones he loves and his sincerity will leave a light within your heart! He's your angel…. Shhhhhhhhhimono Suuuubaruuuuu!"_

The billboard lit up and Subaru's face filled the left half of it. In the middle the white yang symbol appeared, the symbol unfinished.

 _"And from Shining Agency, her mischief and drive will leave you in awe! An Archangel who can make even her own heart skip a beat! Shhhhhhhimono Sssssora!"_

Sora's face covered the second half of the board. To the left of her, a yin symbol appeared, completing the image that Subaru's yang had started.

"They are….! **KARMA!** Make sure to look out for them at their debut concert next month~ Japaaaan~!"

The commercial faded away.

"KARMA!…?" Sora murmured in her daze.

Everyone turned to watch her, silent.

Then she broke into a smile. "We're KARMA!~"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

Things got crazy after Raging Ootori stormed out.

"What is he gonna do?" Subaru worried. Shining Saotome just laughed. "He won't do anything! He won't admit it, but this is a good deal for him too. The feud that the media had been playing for years between our two agencies will be better publicity for KARMA! then anything he could have planned with you two separately."

The president flashed them once last grin before he left - launching himself out of the hospital window. A few seconds later he yelled at them over the roaring of the helicopter that carried the rope ladder he now clung to.

"Your debut concert is next month! Take some rest and then work hard!" His roaring laughter echoed even as he disappeared, leaving the room in stunned silence.

"Did that… really just happen?" Subaru asked.

"You're debuting together!" Shinomiya sounded delighted and hugged Sora quickly.

"Oi, Natsuki, be careful!" Syo barked. "She needs rest."

"And new medication." Another voice joined in. Behind them was Ichinose Tokiya and following him was the familiar face of Tanaka-sensei. The older man wore a weary smile as he took in the sight of them all.

"Tanaka-sensei!" Subaru rushed to greet him. "I think the painkillers that Sora was given are making her sick- like the reactions she had in the past."

A small checkup from the doctor had him confirming Subaru's suspicions. "I'll change this immediately, and we'll arrange for a new medical prescription. It's all been arranged by Saotome-san so you need not worry about the financial side of things."

The doctor smiled kindly at Subaru and his sister, "The two of you are going to be just fine now. It seems you're with some good people now."

Subaru nodded, his shoulders feeling lighter than they had in years, "We are."

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

"You're leaving, Subaru-kun?" Eiji stood in the doorway of his bedroom, while Subaru began to pack his things. At the sight of the nicer two of his cousins, he nodded, but his eyes were kind.

"I'll miss you," Eiji said. "Do you think we'll ever see each other again?"

"I hope so." Subaru replied. "I'd love to collaborate one day."

Eiji's eyes widened, but then he nodded happily. "It's a promise!"

When Subaru was finished he began to take it downstairs to load into the car, only to bump into a tall sullen boy entering the building.

"Hello? Who are you?" Subaru asked, confused.

The boy ignored him.

"Ah, I see Kira has finally arrived." Eichi announced, coming down the stairs. "You see this, cousin? This is actual talent, with a sense of loyalty. He'll be replacing you - or though it's more like you were just standing in for _him_."

Subaru scoffed, "Whatever. Have fun then, Kira-san, though I'll warn you now - this guy's a real pain to work with."

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Sora 天**

With rest being her main priority, Sora had been spending the rest of the week quietly trying to recall what had happened. Her head had been all messed up and she regretted not being more ecstatic on the day that Shining Saotome had come in and magically solved all of their problems. They still had ties to Raging Entertainment, but being blood relatives of Raging Ootori did that anyway. Now they were under the protection of not only Shining Saotome but also the public eye. It did wonders in helping her recovery to know that she could actually rest easy. Subaru had been with her the entire time, and each day she'd have a visitor. All of her friends came to check up on her - first Otoya, then Natsuki, Ren and Masato. Haruka and Tomo-chan brought her some flowers. Even Tokiya stopped by, the first time she'd seen him since it had been on the news that HAYATO had supposedly retired after being discovered as a student at Saotome Academy.

 _"What will you do now, Tokiya-chan?" She asked him, face flushed. The recollection of how she had acted when he had spoken to her while she was still - to put it frankly - high on painkillers, made her cringe. Well, that wasn't the only reason she was embarrassed. HAYATO was her music idol. When she thought about how she had come to be friends with Ichinose Tokiya… she just hoped she'd never have to tell that story to an audience._

 _"I'm going to ask for their forgiveness. Nanami-san and the others," he said. "I want to sing her songs - more than ever."_

 _He'd left her with a present before he left. A star charm._

 _"You were going to choose purple for me, weren't you?" He dropped the charm into her hand,"I hope we can continue to be friends in the future."_

 _Her eyes shined, "Un!"_

And of course, there was Syo-kun. He'd visit every day, watching over her while Subaru disappeared to get some sleep, and they'd have a whole hour to spend together.

"How's the preparation for your graduation audition going?" She asked him. It had been a while since they could just talk about school stuff. A lot had happened since she had been in hospital. There had been the group that Haruka had proposed to Shining Saotome - consisting of all six of her friends, including Syo-kun. It had been her solution to the six of them asking to have her pair up with them.

They'd visited one day, and sung their wonderful song for her. What had Saotome insist it be called again?

Oh right.

Maji Love 1000%.

Even now she yearned to hear it again.

Syo-kun's face fell. "It's not the same - the song doesn't sound the same without Tokiya. That bastard! We were all there doing our best and putting everything into Nanami's songs, while he was singing them just before he went to his own concert. Was he just making fun of us?!"

She rested her hand on top of his, "I'm sure there's more to it then that. He doesn't strike me as that kind of guy."

He seemed unconvinced.

"Are you feeling better now?" He changed the subject. "You've got your debut in a few weeks. Will you be okay after being released so close to the date?"

Sora nodded, her smile bright. "I'm feeling more energised everyday! Subaru's been with me the entire time, we've been working on music to kill time, plus it's been arranged that after our debut we'll be moving into the dorms that Saotome provides his singers while we untaker the Master Course - you know Kurosaki Ranmaru, the guy who plays the bad guy in the Prince of Fighting movie? He lives there too apparently - him and a bunch of others! Plus when you debut, you'll probably be there too, so we don't have to worry about being separated either~"

He frowned when she mentioned his debut but said nothing. "I hope things all work out now." He said instead.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Syo-kun 翔くん**

" _Yoshi~!_ I think that's everything." Syo dusted his hands and gave a thumbs up to Subaru, who repeated the gesture with a shy smile. Today was the day Subaru finally moved back into the school dormitories, at least, until their debut. Because KARMA! was a cross agency project it meant that part of it was still funded by Raging Entertainment. As such, Subaru had been allowed to take away the equipment he had used whilst living with his uncle and cousins - but he was mostly just excited about the beautiful keyboard he had used for composing those ten songs. He'd gotten a little attached, he had admitted shyly to Syo.

"Thanks for everything, Syo." The silver-haired boy said, "With moving, with Sora, just everything. You've been a great friend."

The tips of Syo's ears went red, "W-well, I was pretty cool."

"You were." Subaru flashed him an angelic smile, " _Arigatou gozaimashita!_ "

Ah. _Now I think I understand why his concept in KARMA! is the angel._

"I'm surprised Sora isn't here yet," Syo said. "She's been super enthusiastic about you coming back ever since she got discharged."

"Are you talking about me~~?!"

Speak of the devil - or archangel as it were.

She bounded into the room, nodding to Subaru's old roommate who just buried his nose further into the book he was reading with a blush.

"How's it feel to be back, _Nii-chan_?!" She threw an arm over his shoulder with a laugh.

"Sora!" He complained, but she kept laughing.

They seemed happier, Syo noted. Happier than either of them had been since they had started at the school.

 _I should probably call Kaoru soon,_ he thought, thinking of his own twin brother. It had been a while since he'd checked in with his family, and there was a favour he wanted to ask of his father. He wanted to give Sora one last present, before she was revealed to the rest of Japan.

 **Bzz!**

He pulled out his phone and read the message from Otoya.

 **Tokiya's back!**

"Syo-kun…?" Sora stopped teasing her brother and watched him closely. "Are you okay?"

"I've gotta go!"

That Tokiya bastard! _Now_ he was gonna really get it!

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Sora 天**

Not ten minutes after Syo-kun stormed out of the dorms in a rage, there was a thunderous noise from outside. At first Sora thought that it was a thunderstorm, but when she saw the cascade of lights lining the school grounds and the familiar voice of Shining Saotome ringing across the area she grabbed her brother's wrist and pulled him along with her - heading outside where she hoped she could find the rest of their friends.

Thankfully they could still hear the announcement even during the agonising elevator ride down to the ground floor.

 _"Hey everybody. Good evening! Tonight, I have some…"_ The elevator doors opened and the twins rushed out, scanning the area for where Syo-kun might have gone.

" _... big wonderful news for you!_ "

Then, they saw a gathering of people by the bridge a little ways from the gazebo. It was them, and Tokiya was with them too!

"Syo-kun! _Minna!_ " As they got closer Sora could see that her friends were just as baffled as she was.

The lights above them shone a strobe of colours.

 _"So, come on, get in the spotlight… You great princes!"_

Sora slipped her hand into Syo-kun's. "What's going on?" She asked, breathlessly.

He blinked, "I dunno…"

"That's me!" Otoya exclaimed. They all gazed upwards, eyes widening. It was true. Projected across the sky was Otoya, his name written against a colourful background.

But he wasn't the only one.

"There's Masato… and Natsuki… and you Syo-kun!" Sora read out each name as their picture also flashed across the sky.

Ren followed suit, and lastly Tokiya.

"What the hell is going on?" Syo-kun muttered.

 _"My Shining Agency brings you… brand-new idols with 1000% love."_

Now a picture of all six of them covered the sky.

"Is this what I think it is…?" Subaru asked.

 _"The name is…"_ Letters flashed across the coloured silhouettes of the boys.

 _"STARISH~!"_ Saotome announced.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

When the STARISH members and Haruka were summoned to Saotome's office, Sora and Subaru managed to also slip inside, unnoticed.

"Headmaster!" Otoya was dying to know. "What does this mean?"

"We're going to get a debut…?" Natsuki said slowly.

"But we haven't had the graduation audition yet…" Syo-kun pointed out.

Saotome had the back of his chair to them. "Audition?" He laughed, as though he was amused with the word itself. "You guys pass."

Otoya gasped.

"The first time I heard your song…" the headmaster continued. "' _This group can heat up the country!'_ That's how I felt. When inspiration hits me, it's never baseless. I didn't count on the plan being moved up this soon - I did have my hands full with the debut of KARMA! as well but it can't be helped."

He swung his chair around with a grin, "It's not a problem at all!"

"Right now, Mister Ichinose is drawing a lot of attention, and with the announcement I made previously about KARMA! being a product of Shining Agency and Raging Entertainment, this is your _very big chance_! For both groups! There's no way I'm letting this opportunity slip by."

"We're… going to debut…?" Otoya said, beaming.

"I don't believe it, but I'm totally psyched!" Syo-kun cheered happily.

Natsuki nodded in agreement, "Yeah!"

"With all six of us, I'm sure it'll go well." Masato said with his own pleased smile.

"Plus Nanami," Ren added. He placed his hands firmly on Haruka's shoulders and the boys all turned to face the young composer girl.

"Seven, including you." Tokiya agreed.

Haruka was left stammering. "I-I'll… I-ll do my best!" She bowed to them all, her face bright. "I'll write even better songs!"

 _"Sorry."_ Saotome interrupted them. "Miss Nanami."

" _Hai?_ " She faced the other man.

"You cannot participate in this project."

They could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed.

"For the songs of their debut concert, we're gonna go-go-go-go with a pro tunesmith!"

"What do you mean, Headmaster?" To all of their surprise, it was _Subaru_ who now spoke.

"You're allowing me to write the songs for Sora and I, and I'm one of the people performing it! Nanami-san has taken the composer course, and she was top of the class! And if it wasn't for her song originally, then you never would have discovered that STARISH was the idol group of your dreams!"

"You are mistaken, Mister Shimono."

Saotome got up from his seat and pressed a button. A projection screen came down from the ceiling showing the face of a familiar man.

"Who… is he?" Syo-kun asked.

Tokiya must have clicked. "Headmaster! Don't tell me it's…"

Saotome grinned, "That's right! The million hit songster who's won a mad number of awards… The melodist who's writing the most powerful music in Japan right now… And I've asked him to write debut songs for both KARMA! and STARISH."

They all gasped. Sora stood stunned, but Subaru pulled her to the front of the group, in front of the others - shielding Haruka as well.

"You're gonna go back on your word just like that?!" Subaru said, eyes dangerous."That's exactly what Raging Ootori did to us! You asked me to write songs when I was training over there so I did - I wrote ten of the damn things!"

"Subaru…" Sora grabbed his sleeve but he ignored her, glaring at the headmaster.

Saotome laughed, "This man is called the 'God of Composers'. If we leave it to him, there's no doubt we'll have huge hits on our hands."

"The God of Composers…" Haruka repeated, her eyes already admitting defeat.

"So what?" Syo-kun yelled angrily.

"The key to success for these projects is intense impact. Miss Nanami, certainly, you possess interesting talent and character. And precisely because I sensed that, I've been going easy on you all this time. Such as when you took the entrance examination… It is the same with Mister Shimono. Still, your efforts have led to positive results as Mister Shimono has pointed out, more than I expected. But! This is a different story! Miss Nanami. Mister Shimono."

He eyed them both through his glasses."Can you write a song that surpasses the God of Composers?"

"Just try to stop me." Subaru declared.

Nanami wasn't so sure. "I-I…"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

That night Sora couldn't sleep at all. The way Shining Saotome had so easily cut Haruka away from being the composer for STARISH, and the look of defiance Subaru had shown when his participation as a composer was also being dismissed… It was unsettling.

Shining Saotome had come out of nowhere and offered them their childhood dream - to perform together. He'd promised to cover her medical costs, and had already planned out their debut.

So why was he doing this? She couldn't help but feel like there was an ulterior motive that they couldn't see.

Maybe she just needed to discuss it with someone else. Tomo-chan and Haruka were just down the hall, so she'd discuss it with them.

No sooner had she jumped out of bed, Tomo-chan came bursting inside.

"Haruka… Haruka is gone!"

Sora thought back to the last time someone told her that. "Are you sure?"

Tomo-chan nodded desperately, "Her things are gone! I think she went home to her grandmother!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

They explained the situation to the boys the next morning - while they were in the process of boycotting the rehearsal Saotome had set up for them. While Tomo-chan explained, Sora had also gone and gotten her brother. It would take all of them to convince Haruka to come back, if she had indeed run away.

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Nanami 七海**

"Thank you, _Obaa-chan_." She smiled, her shoulders feeling lighter after her short stay with the woman who had taught her to love music.

That was when she heard the most beautiful song.

It was them! Ittoki-kun, Syo-kun, Hijirikawa-san, Jinguji-san, Shinomiya-san, and Ichinose-san! They were all singing her song - Mirai Chizu - their wonderful voices travelling across the fields to her, enveloping her in warmth.

A small ways behind them she could see Subaru-kun and Sora-chan, who had begun to add their own harmonies, their sweet voices adding to the wonderful mix of colours she could hear.

 _"Kono hiroi hoshi no naka_

 **Within this vast star,**

 _bokura wa naze deatte_

 **how did we meet,**

 _sora o miageterun darou?_

 **looking up at the sky?**

 _ikusen no toki o koete_

 **Thousands of times crossed over,**

 _hitotsu no MERODI_

 **this one melody**

 _kyou o shitteta youna…_

 **is like knowing today…"**

"Haru-chan, you made this song?" Her grandmother asked.

Her eyes filled with happy tears, "Yeah."

"It's a beautiful song."

When they all finished, their visitors were standing only a few feet away.

"Haru-chan!" Sora-chan ran to throw her arms around her, hugging Nanami tight. "Tomo-chan is so worried about you! You really scared her, running off like that you know."

She hugged her friend back, "I'm sorry."

"We heard from Tomochika that you might've gone to your grandmother's house." Ittoki-kun said. "So…"

"We came to get you." Ichinose-san finished.

"You can't give up, Nanami!" Ittoki-kun insisted.

"You're a great composer." Jinguji-san said.

"' _I exist because other people exist,'"_ Hijirikawa-san quoted. "You made me realise that."

"It's all thanks to you, Haru-chan," Shinomiya-san said with a smile.

"You're responsible for bringing us together." Syo-kun said, with a nod of his head. "So you have to be by our side."

"I want to sing your songs, Nanami-san." Ichinose-san said.

"You should have faith in yourself, as a composer," Subaru-kun told her. "Everyone here believes in you."

With that, Ittoki-kun held out his hand to her, "Let's go home… together."

Tears poured down her cheeks, her golden eyes bursting with gratitude. Sora-chan patted her head affectionately, "See? We'll always be here for you."

Nanami bowed deeply, unable to keep her guilt to herself any longer.

"I'm sorry!" She ran to stand directly in front of the boys. "I'm done running away! I'll write songs for you! _I want to write!_ Please let me write the best music for you, music that only I can write."

"That's right!" Ittoki-kun said. "You're the only one for us, Nanami!"

She continued to sob, and Sora hugged her again. "I'm not gonna lose to anyone!" She fell to her knees. "I'm the only one who can write songs for you guys!"

Subaru-kun smiled kindly, "Now you understand."

Sora-chan raised her eyebrow, "What are you talking about?"

He shrugged, "I think this entire situation was a test."

As he said it, they heard familiar laughing in the distance and Shining Saotome appeared once again next to Nanami.

"Well said, Miss Nanami!" He said with a grin, scanning the green fields around him."This is a nice place. I should have taken a leisurely train ride here instead of a chopper."

"Um…" The composer was dumbstruck - they all were.

"I knew it." Sora-chan whispered.

"Miss Nanami… you have a kind nature," he said. "And that's a weakness. This world is ruled by the law of the jungle. When it comes to creation I want you to be a greedy egoist. It seems you've found what you were lacking. I'm sorry for testing you. _You pass!_ "

He whirled around dramatically and pointed at her, "The person who is going to write music for these princes is… you!"

Everyone's faces lit up.

"And what's more…" he continued. "Is I have decided that both STARISH and KARMA! will debut together~! Mister Shimono, Miss Nanami - you have already written your group's individual debut songs. I want more~ I want you to collaborate and write a song for both KARMA! and STARISH to perform together."

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Sora 天**

It was finally happening! Her idol debut! Her music debut!

With Subaru, her darling darling _darling_ little brother!

Backstage, staff were bustling around getting equipment ready. They'd both been checked and double checked by the head of wardrobe and the head of make-up.

Sora twirled around again in her costume. She loved the weight of the black feathered angel wings that were on her back, adding to their debut concept. Subaru had a matching set in white - he truly looked like an angel; the girls would adore him.

Representing the yin, she wore a simple black knee-length dress with trumpet sleevelets, and a sleeveless white jacket. There were matching knee high boots. Her hair stylist had gone all out with a half-up half-down style - small buns were fashioned on either side of her head while the rest of her silvery blonde hair flowed down.

It only delighted her further when she had learned who had chosen her outfit for her.

 _"I was told that this was a special request just for you, Sora-san." The woman in wardrobe told her excitedly, "Kurusu-san said that this was just for you! He's a very accomplished stylist so this is truly an honour!"_

 _"Kurusu…-san?" She thought back to her conversations with Syo-kun, and how he'd mentioned his father was a stylist, thus his own interest in fashion._

 _Syo-kun must've… put in the request…?_

 _A smile spread across her face, from ear to ear. "I friggin' love him."_

Subaru wore a casual white sleeveless dress shirt, with a loosely-fitted black tie, and matching pants. With his hair perfectly styled to make him appear like a prince - of which there were six backstage with him to compare himself to - he was the spitting image of any idol they'd seen on TV over the years.

"Just ten more minutes everyone!" The director called out. "Look lively!"

"You look amazing." Sora turned, to find herself looking into the azure eyes of Syo-kun, whose face was almost the same pink as his own costume. He fidgeted nervously with his fingers and she found herself becoming more self-conscious. Did she really look okay? She was about to be put under the scrutiny of the entire country.

It must have shown on her face because he reiterated what he said. "I mean it - the archangel concept and everything… you look really amazing."

He lowered his eyes. "C-can we talk before we go on stage? There's something I haven't said yet."

She looked at Subaru who nodded, "Go ahead."

He and Syo-kun shared a look between them and then Syo-kun had begun to lead her away, down into a hallway and then again into an empty meeting room.

With the door closed, the commotion coming from backstage could barely be heard.

It was just the two of them. In this room. Alone.

Sora could hear every beat her overly-fast heart took. It was deafening.

Syo-kun faced her, but didn't let go of her hand. Instead he also took her other one, staring at their joined hands for a moment longer until he took a deep breath and shared what was on his mind.

"I made you a promise," he began. "At summer camp. Do you remember?"

 _"When Subaru is back where he belongs, making music with you - I'm going to ask you to be my girlfriend. Officially."_

She nodded, "I remember."

"After Subaru came back to school, and you guys were all set to debut… I meant to… But then everything happened so fast with STARISH and I didn't get a chance." he met her eyes. "I didn't want to wait until after the concert. Everything is moving so quickly for both of us, I felt like I'd lose this chance forever if I didn't do it now."

 _Boomboomboom._

"Syo…-kun…"

"Will you… will you be my girlfriend… Sora?" He bowed his head slightly as he asked, perhaps to also hide how red he was.

She laughed, "Of course. I made a promise too - do you remembe- _oh!_ "

He had pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her - a little awkwardly due to her attached wings. She sighed happily.

"Of course I do." He whispered. "Thanks… for waiting for me Sora."

" _Un._ " When they broke away, they both laughed. "Are you ready to debut… together?" She asked.

He nodded, offering her his hand, "Together!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

 **Subaru スバル**

Syo had come to his room the previous evening wanting to talk.

When the boy had set himself down on the sofa, he wasted no time in explaining.

 _"I… I like your sister." He admitted._

 _"Right."_

 _"And… I want to protect her and and see her smile!" Syo said, blushing._

 _"Right..?"_

 _Syo seemed taken aback by how easy Subaru was taking everything. Well, it wasn't like he was totally oblivious of their relationship, even before Sora admitted everything over text, and then again during one of the evenings after they'd returned to school._

 _Syo was a good guy, he knew that. Plus it wasn't as though he would just step back. He'd always be there, protecting his twin sister._

 _"So, um, I wanted to… to…"_

 _"To…?" Subaru questioned, a smile tugging at his mouth._

 _"To get permission to ask Sora to be my girlfriend!" Syo stood and bowed on his knees, as someone might bow before the parents of their future bride. The expression on Syo's face told Subaru that he was very aware of this._

 _"I'm not her guardian or anything," Subaru said. "You don't exactly need my permission."_

 _Syo stood, "It felt like the right thing to do. You've been by her side the entire time. I respect you a lot. I just wanted to check it was okay with you first. As she would say, you're the Nii-chan."_

 _Subaru cringed. Maybe that nickname was okay for Sora, but Syo really couldn't get it to work._

 _"I'll agree if you promise to never call me that again."_

 _Syo grinned, "Deal!"_

Sora came back from her talk with Syo-kun, buzzing even more than when she had left.

"Everything went well then?" He asked. A blush warmed her cheeks, "It did."

He smiled, "Then I'm glad."

"Two minutes! KARMA! get ready - you're up first!"

They both touched their headsets nervously.

"This is really happening," Sora said, her hands trembling a little.

Subaru caught them with his. "We can do this. After all," he added with a wink. "This is our childhood dream, isn't it? Let's make _Oto-san_ and _Okaa-san_ proud!"

Sora beamed, "Yeah!"

Just before they headed for the stage - where they would glide into their first song from the ceiling - a small group of friends called out to them.

" _Futari-tomo!_ " Otoya called out.

STARISH were lined up, watching them with encouraging smiles. Nanami-san gave them both a shy wave.

"Good luck! Sora-chan! Su-chan!" Shinomiya laughed.

"You've both worked hard for this moment." Hijirikawa-san said.

"Let them all hear you." Ren smirked.

"Good luck, Subaru-san. Sora-san. I'm looking forward to singing together later on." Ichinose-san said, with a small smile.

"I can't wait to hear you sing together!" Otoya exclaimed.

Syo met Subaru's eyes, before his eyes flickered to Sora's. "Enjoy it," he said. "You two fought so much to get here. You're gonna be awesome!"

"Good luck, you two!" Nanami-san enthused.

 **"Everyone~! It is time for our first group of artists to appear before your eyes! Performing their debut song 'absolution' are twins Shimono Sora and Shimono Subaru, better known to you as… KARMA!"**

Subaru offered his hand to Sora, "Shall we?"

She took it with a confident grin, "Let's go, _Nii-chan_!"

｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ ｡･:*:･ﾟ ,｡･:*:･ﾟ

THE END

 **And finally after working on this story and updating more or less monthly since November 27th, we're at the final chapter. Let me just say that if you're reading this right now with the previous nineteen chapters under your belt - THANK YOU! If you've ever left a comment either on quotev, wattpad, ao3, or fanfic dot net - THANK YOU! The comments really gave me a lot of strength when I otherwise would have succumbed to my darker moods so thank you LoverGirl71793, Hoshia Usachan, Mixie18, animefreak112097, mirajanewolf46, claryfairchildmangaka, Guest, Espee, Adia Gordon, Nagashima Ruka, HyperWolfGaming, Mirawolf46, DULCETLY, and the lovely Seriah who literally wrote her own friggin novel length review that kept me smiling literally the entire update I wrote that same day.**

 **Having a project like this to work on has in all honesty been great - this is now the longest fic I've written, so I feel satisfied haha. If you want to know if they'll be a sequel, that is the plan, although I'll be focusing on writing my Fairy Tail fanfic which is in the works right now. I want to give a shoutout to my first ever story follower- akuma night - who followed it on the day it first came out. I was really happy ^^ That's it from me then, enjoy the update, please let me know if you enjoyed reading KARMA!. I'll be going through and fixing a few typos and a few more editing issues across the entire fic, but yeah, this it it! Please leave a comment, I'm not kidding this update took me like 9 hours to write, so pretty please!**


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